By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has sought parley between the humanitarian ministry and the Ministry of Interior to tackle Internal Security, Human Trafficking, and Migration.
Edu made this move in Tuesday when she visited the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji- Ojo in his office in Abuja.
She explained that collaboration between the two ministries would help tackle the root causes of Humanitarian crisis and poverty in Nigeria.
The Minister identified, internal security, human Trafficking, and Migration as some underlining factors causing insecurity ,humanitarian crises and poverty across the country
Edu emphasized that synergy with the Interior ministry will enable her to get the intelligence required to manage any humanitarian responses.
“We are here for serious business and for us to succeed, the President has said we must team up and there must be inter-sectoral and ministerial collaboration to achieve success.”
“My new responsibilities focus on covering a greater population of vulnerable Nigerians, providing them with humanitarian services and alleviating their poverty in line with President Tinubu’s agenda.”
The president is committed to seeing that Nigerians smile again, and reduce the number of people living below the poverty line to the bearest minimum, she said.
“The president is committed to seeing that he reduces the number of persons who are exposed or prone to a humanitarian crisis, I am saying this because a lot of our work depends on how well you do your work in the Ministry of Interior.
“We need your support and we need it at all levels. The heads of security agencies here at this meeting will help to work with our team to gather intelligence on how people are moving in and out of our country.”
“There are issues of human trafficking, child labor, and sexual exploitation, amongst other things which lead to Humanitarian crises, We cannot continue to allow this trend to go unattended, It’s not acceptable.”
“We need your support. We need intelligence from you. We just got the approval for officers from NAPTIP to be present at the different ports.”
We need you to know the importance of our collaboration with you on the border. We have to find ways to step up our intelligence in Nigeria, we have too many illegal borders, the minister t.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian minister disclosed that social intervention social register will be extended to the next servicemen and widows of paramilitary organizations adding that inmates at the Nigeria Correctional Services whose husbands in active serve will also be captured and benefit from the skill acquisition programs of her Ministry.
Responding, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo commended Dr Edu for the Renewed Hope collaboration she sought from his Ministry.
Tunji- Ojo noted that the interministerial Committee headed by the secretaries in the two Ministries will work out modalities that will strengthen the focus of their agenda.
He described as heartwarming and a welcome development, the Humanitarian Minister’s offers to train the inmates of the Correctional services in skills
