25th February, 2016
President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday in Mecca that the Federal Government will welcome support from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for its ongoing efforts to rehabilitate parts of the country affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Speaking at a meeting with the Secretary General of the OIC, Mr Iyad Ameen Madani, President Buhari urged the organisation to send a fact-finding mission to the ravaged states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states to see the damage done by terrorists.
The President told Mr. Madani that the fact-finding visit will help the OIC to determine the scope of assistance it can offer to Nigeria for the rehabilitation and resettlement of internally displaced persons.
President Buhari also challenged the OIC to act urgently in support of the restoration of peace, law and order to Libya which, he said, had been breeding the terrorists causing mayhem in West and Central African countries following the fall of the Ghaddafi regime.
President Buhari agreed with Mr. Madani that Islam has been wilfully misrepresented by terrorists.
The President said that it is only by educating people properly about Islam that terrorists will be deprived of legitimacy and a basis for the recruitment of followers.
He therefore urged the OIC to assist the Federal Government in bringing true knowledge and enlightenment to all Nigerians.