Refugees commission distributes relief items to IDPs in Kebbi
By Ibrahim Bello
The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on Monday distributed care and maintenance items to 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kebbi.
Sen. Basheer Mohammed, the Federal Commissioner in-charge of the commission, during the distribution of the items in Birnin Kebbi, said the aim was to alleviate the sufferings of the IDPs.
He said: “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 people 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”.
Mohammed, who was represented by Muhammed Sani-Gulmare, NCFRMI Director of Finance and Accounts, said the commission was also embarking on the construction of massive housing units to settle displaced people.
He said the housing project tagged: “IDPs Resettlement Cities” consisted 600 units of two-bedroom bungalows.
He said that Borno, Zamfara, Katsina and Edo were the states that would benefit from the housing project.
According to him, the housing estates will be furnished and equipped with facilities for education, worship, skill acquisition, farmlands, among others.
Mohammed also disclosed that the NCFRMI, with the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had commenced another project 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 from,” he said.
The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate government’s efforts by making good use of the items to improve the their wellbeing and that of their families.
In his remarks, Alhaji Umar Jega, a member of the House of Representatives representing Aliero, Gwandu and Jega Federal Constituency, explained that the distribution of the items was a collaboration between the commission and the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Jega, who is the House Committee Chairman on IDPs, noted that more than 1,000 people had been displaced from their homes, either as a result of disaster, banditry or insurgency.
He said IDPs were the most vulnerable in the society and that they needed 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, Alhaji Bello Kao’je, representing Bagudo/Suru Federal Constituency, said that apart from IDPs displaced by insurgency from the North-East of the country, the state witnessed 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 were assisted with food and non-food items in order to alleviate their sufferings,” he said.
Kao’je thanked the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the refugees commission for the intervention in alleviating the plights of the IDPs in his constituency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items distributed included 421 bags of rice, 205 bags of beans, 205 bags of ground maize, 45 bags of millet, water pumps, insecticide, stoves and cooking pots, among others. (NAN)
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