UN not serious about supporting Nigeria - Northern clerics

– Some Northern clerics have come after the United Nations over reports that it is planning to withdraw its relief aid workers from Nigeria

– The clerics in Abuja on Saturday, July 30, said the UN was never interested in helping Nigeria refugees who were affected by the Boko Haram insurgency

– The clerics also called on the Senate President Bukola Saraki to desist from making comments without assertions on situations on ground

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Some clerics from the northern part of Nigeria on Saturday, July 30, took a lash out on the United Nations  over its decision to pull aid workers from the region.

Speaking in Abuja, the national coordinator of the Northern Inter-faith and Religious Organizations for Peace (NIFROM) Musa Fomson said the UN was never ready to provide relief to Nigerian refugees.

On Friday, July 29, the media went agog over reports that UN planned to suspended its aid work over a Boko Haram attack on its relief staff’s convoy.

Although the UN has denied these reports, Fomson said the attack by the terrorists was a deliberate excuse for the world body too pull out its aid from Nigeria.

While condemning the attack in strong terms, Fomson commended the Nigerian military for their effort and steadfast in ensuring the security of lives and property in the region.

“It is hypocritical that the same world body that that did not do the needful to halt Boko Haram’s rise has agencies that are today making a show of providing relief to affected persons. Had there been a prompt international response to the threat of Boko Haram in the initial stage we would not be at this point now.

“It took the horror pictures that emerged from the internally displaced person’s  (IDPs) camps in North eastern Nigeria to provoke the intervention for which the convoy came under attack. Interestingly, it took just that one attack for the UN to announce a suspension of the humanitarian efforts,” Fomson said.

“The feeling we have is that the attack provided a much needed excuse for these agencies that have no interest in doing anything for the tens of thousands of people dislocated by Boko Haram.

“Had there been no attack it would have been a question of time before they cook up another excuse that would have still been used to suspend the so called humanitarian efforts,” he said.

Fomson further called out the Senate President Bukola Saraki to always conduct proper assessment of situations before reacting.

He alleged that the Senate leader have neglected the rehabilitation and reintegration process so desired by citizens from the northeast.

“The amounts allocated for the North East would have done something meaningful towards rehabilitating the population had the institution, the National Assembly, that Dr Saraki presides over as chairman performs its oversight functions diligently and curb the corruption associated with local relief efforts.

“For those who do not understand our grouse, the Senate President and the UN have been insensitive to what happens in the North East over the years.

“Many Nigerians have been killed and or maimed on the same road by terrorists in the past without them taking any notice neither did they show the sympathy now being shown to the aid workers.  For us this is hypocrisy at work.

“We therefore urge Nigerians to accept that it is their responsibility to rise up to the challenge and support their brethren. It is now glaring that we must forget about the inadequate and often strung out humanitarian assistance that serves no purpose other than providing photo ops for those behind them,” Fomson said.