Buhari Orders Release Of #5 BN For Blast Victims

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the
Head of Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi, to
facilitate the immediate release of the N5 billion
pledged by the Federal Government since August
2014 for the Victims Support Fund (VSF), the
presidency announced Friday.
The fund was created to support victims of bomb
attacks.
President Buhari gave the directive after receiving
a briefing from the VSF Presidential Committee
headed by former defence minister, Theophilus
Danjuma, at the Presidential Villa.
Mr. Danjuma told the president that out of the
N55.92 billion pledged at the fund-raising dinner
for the fund in August last year, N33.54 billion was
still outstanding, including N5 Billion from the
Federal Government.
He said the VSF currently has N23.33 billion in
four bank accounts.
Mr. Danjuma urged the president to use his office
to persuade all organizations and individuals to
honour their pledges to the Committee.
The directive came two days after PREMIUM TIMES
reported how the funds had not been deployed to
provide needed help to victims, nearly a year after.
The committee had also told PREMIUM TIMES how
several wealthy Nigerians who made pledges failed
to redeem them, and how former President
Jonathan directed that the funds should not be
released for operations already handled by the
National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.
Mr. Danjuma told President Buhari that the former
president gave approval for the funds to be
incorporated into a Trust Fund, to “insulate it from
political interference”.
President Buhari urged the Committee to ensure
proper coordination with other government
agencies providing support and assistance to
victims of terrorism.
The president assured Mr. Danjuma and members
of the VSF Committee that his administration was
taking proactive steps to defeat terrorism in the
country.
He said that despite the challenge of acquiring
much needed strategic equipment and weapons to
confront the terrorists, the Nigerian military has
recently gained much ground in its effort to defeat
and degrade Boko Haram.
He added that the full deployment of the Multi-
National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), under the
auspices of member-states of Lake Chad Basin
Commission, will further boost ongoing military
operations against the insurgents.