Commission seeks collaboration with Development Partners to rebuild North-east
NAN-H-118
Collaboration
By Lizzy Okoji
Abuja, March 23, 2017 (NAN) National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), has urged development partners to collaborate with the North East Regional Initiative (NERI) to scale up intervention in the North-East.
Hajiya Sadia Umar-Faruk, Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, made the call during her visit to the International Development organisation on Thursday, in Abuja.
Umar-Faruk said the commission sought to partner NERI in the areas of capacity building, training of the commission’s staff as well as protection and other non-monetary collaborations.
She said the collaboration would equip staff members of the commission to effectively carry out their jobs in addressing the plights of IDPs and rebuilding the North-East region.
“We are here to show our appreciation as well as to seek for more collaboration with NERI.
“ We have also come to discuss on the progress made so far in the north-east intervention and more areas of collaboration; how we can partner to address the issues in the North-East.
“We are also here to discuss on how we can strengthen our capacity in areas of protection as government agency.
“Capacity building of our protection officers is very important so that when they are on the field, they would have a clear understanding of how to handle relevant issues as it concerns the IDPs and refugees.
“We hope to kick start a fruitful partnership with NERI as soon as possible,’’ Umar-Faruk said.
The Federal Commissioner condemned the recent deportation of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon and described it as unfortunate.
Umar-Faruk said that early in March, both the Governments of Nigeria and Cameroon signed a pact on the assistance and protection of refugees living in both countries.
She said that with the agreement, it was the responsibility of both countries to protect the rights of refugees of respective countries.
”It is expected that they (the refugees) are accorded with dignity,” she said.
Umar-Faruk said the federal government was already looking into the matter and would address it accordingly to avoid a reoccurrence.
Responding, Mr John Onyeukwu, Programme Director of NERI, pledged the organisation’s collaboration with the commission, explaining that they are fighting the same course.
According to Onyeukwu, the focus of both organisations was to ensure the reconstruction of the North-East and for its people to return to their normal lives.
“Our aims are aligned and we need to see how we can counter violent extremist view within the system.
“The commission would need some capacity assistance to be able to carry out its mandate.
“As a federal institution, the commission’s mandates are clear and it aligns with what we are doing.
“ We have engaged in several activities in the past two years and it cuts across rebuilding schools to providing training.
Onyeukwu said NERI was also facilitating rebuilding of town hall, assisting communities, rebuilding police stations, residencies, among others.
“Our goal is to restore the hope of the victims of insurgencies, enable them get back to their normal lives and encourage people with the support they need,’’ he said.
Onyeukwu explained that in as much as they were doing their best, they were still faced with some challenges.
He said these challenges included reoccurring blasts in different communities, the continuous stay of IDPs in camps, inadequate food and some facilities that were yet to be rebuilt.
The Programme manager said NERI’s objectives are of two folds, one of which is to manage the feelings of marginalisation within the North-East which had been attributed as one of the offshoots of the insurgency.
He said the second was to embark on programmes to counter extremist violent ideas around the Lake Chad region. (NAN)
LIZ/JEO/AFA
Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka/Felix Ajide