The Inter-Ministerial Committee on the handover of liberated communities in the North-East to civil and law enforcement agencies has advocated an immediate relocation of civil authorities to the affected areas.

Chairman of the committee, Maj.-Gen. Azagaku Umaru, said this while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after submitting the committee’s report to the Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (RTD), in Abuja on Thursday.

Umaru said the immediate return of civil law enforcement authorities including the police and local government officials would complement what the military had done so far in the liberated areas.

“Rehabilitation forms part of the larger government strategy, but essentially for the restoration of civil and law enforcement agencies in the liberated areas, because of the security situation in the areas.

“We didn’t have significant presence of the civil and security law enforcement agents or outfits.

“Even the local authorities to some extent were not significantly present, but with the efforts by the military to liberate these areas, there is the need to fill this vacuum.”

Umaru said it was the responsibility of the government and other partners to reconstruct the communities and provide the basic requirements that would facilitate the return of normal life in the affected areas.

On his part, the defence minister said government was committed to implementing the recommendations as contained in the report of the committee.

He said the military would consolidate on the successes recorded in the North-East in the coming weeks to pave way for the complete handover of the liberated communities.

Dan-Ali said government would do its best to ensure that normal activities returned to the devastated areas.

He assured the committee of the government’s willingness to act on key aspects of infrastructure and the immediate needs of the persons expected to return to the communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the committee was inaugurated by the defence minister in February to advise the Federal Government on how best to facilitate the return of civil authorities to the liberated areas.

NAN reports that the committee members are drawn from the ministries of defence and interior, the armed forces, the affected states and other groups who are stakeholders. (NAN)

•Photo shows Defence Minister Dan-Ali.