President Buhari has vowed to restore the Lake Chad region back to its glorious days, as he pledged to provide necessary Military hardware and logistics to help end the Boko Haram and other militant elements in the region.
President Buhari made this pledge in N’Djamena, Chad at an emergency meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission(LCBC).
President Buhari chaired the meeting in Chad, where he reiterated his commitment to providing the required leadership and direction for the actualization of peace and security in the Lake Chad Region. He said:
“Boko Haram’s increasing use of mines, as well as its recent deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for surveillance activities, have proved to be critical factors in the resurgence of attacks in the region. Times as these call for quick interventions & measures. We must not relent!
We must not allow the enemies of the region to succeed in their quest to destabilize the area. We must reinvigorate our collective will & commitment towards eradicating terrorism from our region. We must & will remain focused and true to ensuring sustainable peace and development”
President Buhari also blamed the increased militancy in the region to the shrinking of the Lake, saying:
“We know that the crisis is being fueled by poverty and the continued shrinkage of Lake Chad, which have rendered the people vulnerable to terrorist activities. This is why we must actualize efforts to recharge the Lake, through Inter-Basin Water Transfer from the Congo Basin.
Today’s Meeting also provided an opportunity to reiterate our message to the Military: We will ensure you have the equipment you need to optimally function. Your welfare will continue to remain our priority. And together we shall restore the Lake Chad Region to its glorious days.” He said.
The region is made up of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin, and these countries contribute troops to the Multi-national Joint Task Force to combat Militancy in the region.