The National Commision for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons NCFRMI under the leadership of the current Honourable Federal Commissioner, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim had prioritized the issues surrounding person of concerns from the internally displaced persons IDPs, stateless, Migrants, asylum seekers, and returnees from the neighbouring countries who retraced their steps or decided to return to Nigeria.
This is in addition to creating engagement outlets for the IDPs in Nigeria after the re-introduction of ‘Operation Zero Hunger’ to ‘Project Zero Hunger,’ that ensured the provision of basic amenities to the various camps scattered around the country.
The introduction of engagement outlets for the IDPs in Nigeria had been a major step towards not only reforming them and preparing them to return to their original abode, but to enable them realise their potentials through self sustenance and self reliant activities socially, economically through skill acquisition, capacity building, training and development.
The critical situations sorrounding both the sustenance and survival of Nigeria’s IDPs is desiring collective and concerted efforts, geared towards resettling and reintegrating them into the larger society.
Having overcame the provision of basic essentials from provision of food and shelter along with robust attention to the health needs , the new trend of inculcating them into specialised area of their choice, through partnership with ICT hub, NITDA ,the artisan sector with collaboration with Innoson motors to provide basic skill of local content exploration, as an indigenous motor company along with planned partnership with private sectors and public entities, to explore their specialised areas , so to impact the knowledge on the refugees.
With the knowledge of the plight of returnees from Bakkasi peninsula, hitherto a Nigeria territory ceded to the Cameron, a neighbouring country aftermath of a world court judgement that did not go down well with most of the inhabitants of the pennisula for over one decade now.
Some Nigerians having co-habited with the Cameronian still maintained their abode even though , it was territorially ceded to the other country, while others not comfortable with the world court judgement started returning back to Nigeria officially and unofficially.
With those whose decisions to return to their ancestral abode Nigeria in line with the global practices and Global Compact Refugees GCR of the NCFRMI, were given soft landing through engagements and other outlets that will keep them afloat towards their stabilisation economically, socially and traditionally.
Therefore, the recent decision by the National Commision for Refugees Migrants and internally displaced persons NCFRMI to empower about 44 Bakasi returnees to Nigeria through their known vocation of fishing was a right step in the right direction.
The positive developement and decision of the commission will encourage more returnees from the peninsula to their original abode, along with other returnees countless across the boarder who find the need to also take similar decisions.
The singular decision of the commission aside engaging the returnees will boost fish production not only in Bakasi, across the boarder, but in Nigeria that will guarantee self sustenance of the returnees to their own country.
It will also serve as an official guide to others in Libya numbering about 162 returnees along with 11 infants, whose contemplation of returning to Nigeria was lukewarm.
The decision of the current leadership of NCFRMI to open up all areas of persons of concerns was quite commendable and encouraging, along with the recent granting of asylum to some foreigners residence in Nigeria.
The new reforms and innovations under Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim is unique in all ramifications, and will not only bring a lasting peace to Nigeria and the entire continent, but create an enabling environment for non crises situations.
With these development, Nigeria has given alot of hope and confidence to the internally displaced persons IDPs and refugees that their distress at any point in time was temporary and resolvable.
With high hope, under the Honorable Federal Commissioner, more returnees will be inculcated into the main stream of Nigeria polity, now and in the nearest future.
Written by Abubakar Yusuf, and can be reached on yus.abubakar3 @ yahoo.com.
