President unveils action plan to check violent extremism

• FG to promotes local production of health commodities

President Muhammadu Buhari has unveiled a policy framework and national action plan to prevent and counter violent extremism in the country, with a charge on ministers and heads of relevant government agencies to ensure its full implementation.

He urged states and local governments to develop similar plan to check violent extremism at the grassroots.The president had on August 24 this year signed a directive for the implementation of the anti-extremism action plan.

“I have directed all ministries, departments and agencies to institutionalise mainstream measures to address the root causes of violent extremism while implementing programmes that build the resilience of Nigerians to recover from the consequences of violence. We must now, while working together, focus on rooting out hate, misrepresentation of religion and violence in our society,” he said at the event held at Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari described the policy framework as a complimentary approach developed through consultations with Nigerians in and outside the government. He said his administration was committed to addressing the root causes of violent extremism in the country.

Also yesterday, President Buhari said Nigeria was working with relevant stakeholders to promote local manufacturing of health commodities that meet global standards.He spoke in Abuja at an event to commemorate the World AIDS Day.

Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, agreed that the budgetary provisions for health in the 2018 budget was not enough, he therefore called on the state governments and the private sector to support the Federal Government’s aspirations to provide universal healthcare for all Nigerians.

Buhari who said that the Federal Government was aware of the huge financial requirements for health to tackle HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, promised that the 2018 budgetary provision for the sector would be substantially increased.According to him, the Federal Government is hoping to increase local resources for health in the coming years.