Accountability and oversight are necessary components in the nation’s efforts to rehabilitate the insurgency-ravaged North East region, Buhola Saraki, the President of the Senate has said.

Saraki made the remarks as Chaloka Beyani, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights of internally displaced persons, IDPs, concludes a four-day visit to the Northeast.

In a statement by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President noted that he was pleased to learn that the international community is beginning to pay more attention to the suffering in the North East.

“We are hopeful about the increasing international attention being shown toward the North East,” Saraki was quoted as saying.

“On our part, we need to make sure that our accountability mechanisms generate confidence in our ability to absorb and monitor the delivery of aid material and resources,” he added.

The Senate President said that Nigeria was heading in the right direction in tackling the humanitarian crisis in the Northeast.

He added, however, that there were still many issues that need to be tackled.

Saraki said: “Gradually but surely, we are heading in the right direction. However, let us not take our foot off the gas pedal.

“We must make accountability an expectation in Nigeria’s humanitarian relief infrastructure.

He stressed that accountability must be built into all aspects of the relief and rehabilitation effort in order to promote greater confidence in our capacity

Saraki further stated that there was need to focus less on the sensational stories of corruption in the relief effort and instead focus on more transparent systems to root out corruption and profiteering.

He promised that the humanitarian crisis in the Northeast will be utmost priority when the 8th Senate resumes sitting later in the month.

“As Senate President, I am sure that I speak for many of my colleagues when I say that we are more than willing to work with any and all Nigerian and international stakeholders to restore development, dignity and hope to the people of the north east”, he stated.