Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, said a successful war against poverty would reduce insecurity, at least, by 50 percent.
Edu disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, at the Air Force Headquarters in Abuja yesterday.
The minister described poverty as an enabler of insecurity, which has led to humanitarian crises, in a statement issued yesterday by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair.
She solicited the Nigerian Air Force’s assistance in the delivery of humanitarian relief materials and palliatives, especially to people in difficult terrains, and to evacuate Nigerians from areas under threat, both within and outside the country.
“When we win the war against poverty, we would have won the war against insecurity by over 50 percent; please, fly us to those hard-to-reach areas.
“I am sure you are quite aware that we have a good number of persons who are either internally displaced, or refugees who are in need of humanitarian assistance, and some of whom are in areas where it’s difficult to access them through road due to insecurity. We will be seeking your support to see that we can get through to them to deliver humanitarian services, including palliatives.
“We are counting on your support in terms of intelligence; we are counting on your support in terms of security; we are counting on your support to see that our job is made easier, better and success achieved,” she said.
The minister pledged to capture families of deceased servicemen in the poverty alleviation scheme and requested deployment of Air Force personnel to the ministry as desk officers for proper liaison.
She said President Bola Tinubu was committed to ensuring humanitarian crises and the number of people affected in Nigeria are reduced to the barest minimum. She announced that in the coming weeks, the ministry would be visiting different areas across the country, to carry out humanitarian interventions. Dr. Edu congratulated Air Marshal Hassan on his appointment and condoled with him on the loss of some of his men in active duty in Niger State.
Earlier, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar, pledged to foster cooperation and partnership between the Nigerian Air Force and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in addressing critical humanitarian challenges facing the country.
“Your presence here underscores our shared commitment to the well-being of our fellow citizens during their most trying times.
“The challenges that confront us in the humanitarian sphere are multifaceted. Nigeria faces crisis triggered by conflicts, natural disasters, and displacement, each presenting unique complexities.
“Responding to these crises effectively requires a coordinated and unified approach, pooling the resources and expertise of various agencies and departments, and that is precisely what we both represent in our various rights. We will do better, we will give all the support you need,” Air Marshal Hassan told the minister.