From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has distributed relief materials comprising care and maintenance items to 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kebbi State.
The Federal Commissioner of the Commission, Basheer Mohammed, who flagged-off the distribution of the items in Birnin Kebbi on Monday, said the the purpose of the distribution was to alleviate the suffering of the persons of concern.
According to him, ‘there is no doubt that the federal government under the dynamic leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated high level of commitment to the welfare of displaced persons in the country.
‘In this regard, the federal government has empowered our commission and is currently carrying out distribution of items to persons of concern in many states of the federation, while also embarking on construction of massive housing units to settle displaced persons.’
Mohammed, who was represented by the Director of Finance and Account in the Commission, Muhammed Sani-Gulmare, explained that the housing project tagged IDPs Resettlement Cities consisted of 600 units of two bedroom bungalows.
‘The benefitting states are: Borno, Zamfara, Katsina and Edo states. The bungalows will be well furnished and equipped with facilities for education, worship, skills acquisition and farmlands, among others,’ he said.
Mohammed also revealed that the commission with the support of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commenced another programme to substantially address the issue of durable solution for displaced persons.
‘The project is known as Project Reliance and is aimed at providing IDPs with skills for more meaningful livelihood. At least, 50 different skills have been identified for them to choose,’ he said.
In his remarks, a member of the House of Representatives representing Aliero, Gwandu and Jega Federal Constituency, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on IDPs, Alhaji Umar Jega, noted that the distribution of the items was in collaboration between the commission and Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.
‘The IDPs are the most vulnerable as over 1,000 are displaced from their homes either as a result of natural disaster or banditry and insurgency.
‘They are in need of protection, care and assistance. That is why the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in collaboration with the NCFRMI came up with the intervention to reduce the suffering of these unfortunate Nigerians,’ Jega said.
Also speaking, a House member of representing Bagudo/Suru federal constituency, Alhaji Bello Kao’je, said that apart from IDPs displaced by insurgency in the North-East, the state witnessed a huge number of IDPs as a result of floods in 2020.
‘Most of these IDPs came from Jega, Aliero, Gwandu, Suru and Bagudo, hence the need to collaborate with the office of the Speaker and NCFRMI to ensure these vulnerable are assisted with food and non food items in order to alleviate their suffering,’ he said.
Kao’je thanked the office of the Speaker and the refugees commission for the intervention in his constituency in the state.
