The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has assured that the federal government is working out modalities to resettle farmers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country.

Mr Matawalle gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the representative of the United Nations Mines Action Services (UNMAS) on a courtesy visit at the Ship House.

The minister also assured that the federal government would partner with UNMAS in working out a solution to reintegrate the IDPs and farmers into society for a better life.

“We need to redesign the action plan for the IDP returnees and farmers to go back to their farms,” he said.

He added that there was a need for the government to provide essential technical support for the establishment of a national mine action centre in the North-East and extend it to the North-West, where incidences of insurgency had increased.

“Such centres will afford the IDPs the opportunity to return to their communities and have access to quality education,” he said.

Earlier, the representative of UNMAS to Nigeria, Edwin Faigmane, said the service would collaborate with the Nigerian Army to secure success for mine action services operations in the country.

 Mr Faigmane also said there was a need to conduct technical surveys to identify hazardous areas that needed to be safe before any other activities could take place.

He commended the minister for the audience, adding that they count on the Nigerian government’s support in identifying areas of collaboration. 

(NAN)