In the last one year, alot of positive development that involved the welfare of Person’s of Concerns and Internally Displaced Person’s IDPs had been of great and enviable concern to Nigerian government, under the leadership of Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim at National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Person’s NCFRMI .
The Refugees Commission aside providing the basic necessities of life to the vulnerables through creation of temporary abode that had transformed to permanent transit camp in the present dispensation.
The temporary arrangements of operation zero hunger to project zero hunger, project health for all, project skill up and ‘Project Education for All among many others was the determination of government to take the welfare of IDPs to another level.
This was in line with the last 77th UNGA resolution that boarders of welfare of Person’s of concern POC’s and Kampala declaration of not only providing basic necessities of life for the IDPs while on a transit camp, but engagement outlets that will translate to self fulfilment, self realization and gainful employment opportunities that will guarantee seamless competition in the larger society.
The 2022 National Day for IDPs was far away from the usual practice and norm of providing only basic social amenities to the person’s of concern, but a launching pad to providing start up packs for the IDPs who were already trained in various skills and vocations to create an enabling avenue for self sustenance under Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, at the new National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Person’s NCFRMI.
The maiden program that attracted President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was a glaring display of the passion and seriousness it deserves towards the genuine emancipation of IDPs from the shackles of poverty, disease, hunger, Idleness, lacks and wants, but to make them useful to themselves, society and the country at large.
Imaan’s template designed not only to accommodate the vulnerables, but asylum seekers, returnees, refugees and repatriated individuals was a consolidation towards other critical conditions of the displaced in the society.
Not long ago , returnees from the contentious Bakkasi pennisula in Cameroon were empowered on the skill on fish farming among many others business relevant in their areas of abode by the NCFRMI.
The planned repatriation of over 500 Nigerians in three African countries was already on course fall out of the declaration at the last 77th UNGA session that held in September, 2022.
The decision of the commission to create engagement outlets to the IDPs, through donation of starter packs has resolved the incessant and needless instigations of redundant IDPs in the camps being used as a tool to protest against not only the leadership, but national issues.
With the new reforms introduced by Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim among many other policies that will promote the welfare of IDPs, the person’s of concern POC’s will not be cocooned into mere agitations and self assertion under the guise of agitating for their entitlements and legitimate demands.
Having impacted so much on the IDPs, with the provision of engagement items, no doubt the IDPs will fit in into the larger society without recourse to their present temporary situations.
Yusuf writes from Abuja, and can be reached on [email protected].
