The Nation Newspaper

Tag: displaced

  • ‘How we were tormented, killed, displaced’

    For years now, villages of Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State bordering the troubled Birnin Gwari have been through hell in the hands of bandits. Many were kidnapped, others killed and 18 villages sacked after a self-liberation move failed.  ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports.

    Trouble started when members of the vigilante group from the villages spotted a bandits’ hideout. The troubled villagers, who were fed up with the gunmen’s terror attacks, moved in to root out the bandits, but the move was a costly gamble as it failed. They were overpowered by the suspected criminals and three of the local security operatives were reported killed in the gun duel.

    The Nation gathered that the vigilantes who stirred the hornet’s nest, were scared that, informing the authorities before raiding the bandits’ hideout might not yield positive results. “Their fear was that, an informant might alert the bandits before Police or soldiers arrive. Even if no informant does, the Police themselves, in their usual way of operation, might be blowing siren before getting to the scene, which will alert the criminals to run away,” a villager said.

    The Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo, who confirmed the incident, had said trouble started when a group of vigilantes from the villages discovered a bandits/kidnappers’ hideout and went to burst it. They went solo, but were unfortunately overpowered by the bandits.

    He said three of the vigilantes went missing in the process, a situation he said sent fears into the villagers, who eventually fled their homes for fear of the unknown. “But, immediately we learnt of the situation, the command deployed men in the area to go after the suspected bandits.”

    Police deployment not withstanding, villagers from 18 villages of Jura, Anguwar Gide, Anguwar Dan Gauta, Anguwar Nayawo, Anguwar Makeri, Jigani, Sabon Gida, Dallatu, Anguwar Ahmadu, Sabon Gari, Kosau, Gidan Sarkin Noma, Anguwar Pati, Anguwar Amfani, Anguwar Tofa, Kyauro, Burkawa and Soran Giwa, estimated to be over 1,200, fled their homes to take refuge at LEA Primary School Birnin Yero, along Kaduna-Zaria Expressway.

    Some of the displaced villagers, who spoke to The Nation at the temporary camp, narrated their sad experiences with the dreaded bandits. They lamented that the criminals have no sympathy for fellow human beings; not even the aged, women and children

    The predominant farming villagers said they had no option but to flee their homes and abandon their property and farms to save their lives because the bandits, according to them, don’t issue empty threats.

    A displaced victim, who identified himself simply as Idris, said: “We didn’t just leave our villages; we received threat messages from bandits on a daily basis that they were coming to attack us; and because we know how the bandits have been terrorising our communities, we had to leave.

    “Going to farm was sometimes difficult us; even when whenever we dared them by going to farm, they would kidnap our women and children and we often paid ransom to free them. So, many people had been kidnapped and ransom paid. This was the reason the vigilantes made the move to engage the bandits and liberate the communities.

    “The vigilantes went into the forest to arrest the bandits, but in the process, three of them were instead killed and even some are still missing. That was why when we got their messages that we should leave the villages or be attacked, we had no option.

    “The bandits had not attacked any village; they only asked us to vacate the communities or be attacked. But, we know them; they don’t make empty threats and if we say they will not come and they do, who is going to defend us? Some of the vigilantes we relied on were killed by them,” he regretted.

    In another twist, another victim and a traditional title holder, Abdullahi Jibril, said the gunmen actually came to Ungwar Gide in   broad day light on October 20 ordering them to vacate the village.

    According to Jibrin, a septuagenarian farmer, “On Sunday, the day we came to this camp, the bandits came into our village on bikes, brandishing their guns and ordered us to leave our ancestral homes.

    “Now, we are here living like refugees in our own state begging for food. Meanwhile, just like many others you are seeing here, we have our farms;  we are not liabilities, but these people have prevented us from going to our farms.

    “I invested about N2million on my farm but now I can’t go there. Even before our coming here, I couldn’t visit the farm anymore because of the bandits; they kidnap people on their ways to farm. In fact, I have spent about 30 days now without visiting my farm and you know what that means for a farmer, who is supposed to be harvesting by now.

    “I am also a victim of ransom payment. The bandits kidnapped my daughter-inlaw and I had to pay through my nose. I went begging for money and borrowing and I paid almost a million naira to secure her release.

    “As you can see now, we are over 1,200 here, including women and children. Now, I have not even seen one of my wives and even some of my children. I just hope and pray they are safe wherever they are.

    “So, beyond the relief materials, we want goverment to get rid of these bandits so we can continue to live and farm peacefully, he pleaded.

    Ibrahim Dodo, a displaced victim from Burkawa, said they were ready to go back home as three ‘battalions’ of soldiers have been sent to their communities.

    Narrating his version of why they had to flee their homes, Dodo said: “Vigilantes from our villages had a meeting where they resolved to go and attack bandits in their hideout in the forest. They didn’t inform the security agencies. They just went into the forest on their own. On getting to the forest, the vigilantes engaged the bandits in gun battle and in the process, the bandits succeeded in killing three of the vigilantes.

    “The bandits also chased the vigilantes to some villages where they set some houses ablaze. And they also sent messages to other villages to leave. That was why we left, because if they could kill our kinsmen, our vigilantes, who are we to wait for them?

    “This is not the first time they would be killing our people; they have been tormenting, terrorising and kidnapping us for long. Now, they have even displaced us from our homes, as if there is no goverment”, he lamented.

    He,however, opined that unemployment was responsible for the criminalities in their area and asked goverment to provide job opportunities for the people, especially the youth.

    Another displaced resident, Salisu Lawal, recalled that the son of the Village Head of Bakin Kasuwa, Tukur, was among the three vigilantes killed in the cross-fire with the bandits. Others, according to him, were Danbirni and Yushehu.

    Lawal said the criminal elements were so heartless that they even called the villagers, asking them to come and retrieve their corpses.

    According to him, “After killing our people, the heartless bandits even called us to come and pick our corpses. But we were scared  for our own lives too;we could not go there.

    “Most of us who fled our villages are farmers, but now we have been turned to refugees. So, we are begging government to do something urgently so that we can return home and go back to farm. The bandits have prevented us from harvesting our farm produce.”

    Another villager, Salamatu Mohammed, who commended the goverment for bringing them relief materials, also appealed to the state government to chase out the bandits as their huge investments in the farms would be wasted if they cannot go back to farm.

    “We are not enjoying this place because we left everything behind to save our lives. We need the government to help us,” he pleaded.

    The chairman of the troubled Igabi council, Khamis Jabeer, also called on the federal government to end banditry in the country, but noted that the local vigilantes in the villages, if fully supported by the security agencies, can engage the bandits who are still hiding in the forest.

    However, the villagers as at last Monday had started going back home after they were assured of security presence by goverment.

    The National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons had penultimate Saturday given the displaced villagers relief materials ranging from local mats, plates, tea cups, cooking materials and food items.

    Addressing the displaced persons at the camp, an official of the commission, Senator Basheer Muhammed,said he was at the camp to commiserate with the IDPs over the unfortunate incident, adding that the items brought by the commission were to cushion the effects of the challenges the villagers faced in the past few days, which must have caused them great distress.

    He, therefore, assured them of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the insecurity problem in the country. “I am here to condole with you and to conduct a needs assessment of your situation. I want to also state that the Federal Government under President Mohammadu Buhari is fully committed to finding a lasting solution to the plight of persons of concern,” he said.

  • Humanitarian crisis as 40,000 are displaced in Benue after attacks

    Humanitarian crisis as 40,000 are displaced in Benue after attacks

    A major humanitarian crisis has hit the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps created to accommodate Benue indigenes fleeing the herdsmen attacks which about 71 persons have died.

    No fewer than 40,000 people are in overcrowded camps which lack the basic things.

    The state has declared  three-day mourning for the victims during which flags will fly at half mast. Thursday will be work-free. Offices will close at 1pm today and tomorrow.

    The period will be rounded off with the mass burial of 71 bodies on Thursday.

    Governor Samuel Ortom, who declared the mourning period because of the killings in Logo and Guma Local Government Areas, said the mourning period will be from today till Thursday.

    A church service for the victims at the IBB Square in Makurdi will precede the mass burial.

    Guma Local Government Chairman Mr Anthony Shawon recalled that the herders invaded Saav, Mbadyen and Uvir villages on Jan.1 and retreated to the forest of Dogon Yashi, stretching from Guma to Logo on the banks of River Benue, covering over 57 kilometres..

    Shawon, who lamented the destruction of crops, farms and homes by the invaders, said survivors had left their ancestral homes and were looking for shelter in nearby towns.

    He said the state government had approved the setting up of camps for the displaced persons but regretted that the few already established were overcrowded by the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    “The camps at Guma and Gbajimba are overcrowded, but the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is already handling the situation because, as a local government, the scale is beyond us.”

    He regretted that the invaders, who were hiding in the Dogon Yashi forest, were still attacking villages, burning down houses and destroying crops.

    Shawon said the attackers were still destroying crops kept in farms such as soya beans, yams, guinea corn and rice.

    “They are openly grazing on farms after which they set them on fire,” he alleged.

    The chairman praised soldiers for their quick intervention in the crisis.

    He appealed to the army to enter into the forest and dislodge the herders there.

    He accused the Kabawa community in Guma of ferrying food to herdsmen in the forest in exchange for cattle.

    Shawon, however, disclosed that the Kabawa people who carried food to the herders had been arrested by the police in Abinsi.

    He regretted that the herdsmen were still grazing in defiance of the anti-open grazing law, on an open stretch of land from Mbagwen to Lokobi in the local government area.

    Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Mr. Emmanuel Shior said over 40,000 displaced persons were in various camps.

    Victims in Mbadyem and Uvir, Guma Local Government area are camped in Daudu town with over 900 displaced persons.

    Another camp is located in Ayilamo for those affected in Mbaya, Mbaiwen and Mbazaar communities in Logo local Government Area .

    The third camp is in Gbajima, headquarters of Guma Local Government Area.

    He said SEMA is overwhelmed with the number displaced persons and appealed for donation of relief materials.

    At the LGEA Primary School camp, most of the displaced persons, among them women and children, are sleeping on bare classroom floor in harmattan.The children look weak and hungry probably due of lack of proper feeding

    Women launched a protest in Makurdi against the killings.

    Dr. Eunice Ortom, the governor’s wife, who described the killings as “unjustifiable”, wept.

    The governor himself wept at the Benue State University morgue when he saw the bodies.

    “It is unfortunate. The enemy has seen us a people to waste,” Mrs Ortom said.

    Mrs. Ortom who told the women that the governor would not betray their trust and support, assured them that the administration would spare no effort to end the killings.

    She also cautioned the people against playing politics with the issue. They should be vigilant and focused, Mrs Ortom said.

    To Mrs. Elizabeth Shuluwa, who led the protesters, the killings are genocidal. She urged President Muhammadu Buhari to act fast.

    Benue Women Convener Mrs. Rebecca Apedzan expressed disappointment at Minster of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazzau’s description of the killers as “criminals” instead of “Fulani herdsmen”.

    She also bemoaned the comment by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, that the situation in Benue State is a communal crisis. She said the Fulani herdsmen are terrorists and the Federal Government should declare them as such.

    The women who carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “President, speak to them in Fulani”, “On ranching, Benue stands”, “Nigerians say no to the proposed Grazing Reserve Bill, marched on the Government house where the governor’s wife addressed them.

  • Focus on internally displaced women

    SIR: Each year, International Women’s Day features thousands of events – global gatherings, conferences, awards, exhibitions, festivals, fun runs, corporate events, concert performances, speaking events, online digital gatherings and more.

    Events are held by women networks, corporations, charities, educational institutions, government bodies, political parties, the media and further communities. International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

    The theme/message for each year calls for more action by the government of countries, especially for women who are still largely considered second class citizens.

    But can we say that Internally Displaced Women benefit from this day? This day is meant for women all over the world, therefore we should not forget the internally displaced  women in our celebration.

    Women are the most vulnerable during times of war, be it a large-scale civil war or pockets of insurgency as is being witnessed in the northeastern part of the country. With over three million people displaced since the rise of the insurgency, Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the world, many of which are women. A large number of these women are heads of households, according to the UN special rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, Chaloka Beyani.

    While the security and Civilian JTF are currently doing their best to end the insurgency, a lot of harm has already been done to the psyche of women and children. The widely reported atrocity perpetrated against women during the period of the insurgency is abduction of over 200 school girls from Chibok, Borno State.

    We must also appreciate the effort made which rescued 19 of them. Mass abductions and rape are just a few of the experiences that women have and continue to face in the hardest hit states of Borno and Yobe states.

    The sexual exploitation and abuse occurring in Maiduguri IDP camps came to prominence in late October due to the publication of a report by Human Rights Watch. The report documented sexual abuse, including the rape and exploitation of 43 women and girls living in seven IDP camps. Some of them were drugged and raped, while others were promised marriage (which never happened). Others were offered material and financial assistance in exchange for sex.

    Women forced to accept these terms then suffered discrimination, abuse and stigma from others in the camps, as did the children born from these exploitive encounters. Their abusers were members of security forces, vigilante groups, camp leaders and camp officials.

    On the occasion of 2010 International Women’s Day the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) drew attention to the hardships displaced women endure. The displacement of populations is one of the gravest consequences of today’s armed conflicts. It affects women in a host of ways.

    What percentage of internally displaced women have access to safe drinking water, adequate shelter, education, adequate healthcare and necessary information? The answer is zero percent. These are just a few of the problems faced by these women. When I visited one of the IDP camps here in Maiduguri, I was shocked when I saw the food these people eat, they just eat for survival.

    International Women’s Day is an official holiday in many countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Madagascar (for women only), Russia, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia etc. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries International Women’s Day has the equivalent status of Mother’s Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

    Make everyday International Women’s Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.

     

    • Mu’awiya Shuaibu,

    Mass Communication Department

    University of Maiduguri, Borno State

  • A lift for displaced children

    A lift for displaced children

    A charity effort by some United Kingdom university students thrills children displaced by Boko Haram, reports OLUGBENGA ADANIKI

    When the children saw the bags of maize, rice, sorghum, beans and other items, they smiled. Then they started praying for the donors.

    Life in a displaced persons camp in the nation’s capital has been tough. Some of them are orphans, their parents killed by the terrorist group Boko Haram. It was by sheer providence that they survived and were taken to Abuja. But at the Durumi Camp, food is in short supply, as is everything else they need.

    A donor built a makeshift school there where the children receive some education. One of the pupils, six-year-old Peter Ishaku dreams of becoming president, though he probably imagines that his chances are pretty slim.

    Peter, an indigene of Gwoza Local Government, Borno State, like his schoolmates, needs all that charity offers. He is one of the 13,481 IDPs living in unpleasant conditions in the camp. There are about 157 pupils, out of whom 137 are spread through Primary 1 to 3 while 20 are in the secondary school.

    The International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IMDC), in its preliminary study estimated that about 2,152,000 persons as of December 31, 2015 were displaced as a result of the Boko Haram crisis.

    Statistics released by the Director of IMDC, Alfredo Zamudio said about 3.3 million persons have been displaced in the Northeast. Nigeria is ranked behind Syria with 6.5 million IDPs and Colombia having 5.7 million IDPs. This positioned Nigeria as the nation with the highest number of displaced persons in Africa. The Federal Government has made consistent efforts to ensure the survived victims are relocated to their natural abode.

    To ease their pain, a group of Nigerian students from the Nottingham University, United Kingdom (UK) donated educational and food materials worth over 1000 Pounds to the Durumi IDPs. The project was also supported by The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Nasrul-Lahi-iL-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NAFSAT) and Harvest Chapel International, all in Nottingham. Even if the sum seems little, it was a product of deliberate efforts, sacrifices and service to humanity. Some of the students donated two pounds, some 10 pounds, some 50 pounds.

    A representative of the students, under the platform of University of Nottingham Nigerian Society, Mrs. Amina Ahmed could not conceal her excitement when the pupils expressed their joy at the donations.

    One of the guardians, Hajia Binta said, “I’m a widow but I pray for you; may God also put smiles on your faces.”

    She asked if the President, University of Nottingham Nigerian Society, Victor Udeozor, understood that God answers prayer of the widows faster than anyone else’s.

    At the camp, some of the food items donated include bags of maize, rice, sorghum, 100kg of beans, groundnut oil and noodles among other staple foods. Educational materials includes story books, crayons, pencils, biros, over 1, 000 exercise books, school wears including shoes, chalks, drawing books among other materials needed for a mini-school to function properly.

    Mrs. Ahmed, the Welfare Secretary of the society said, “It was a collective effort from all the Nigerian students and executive committee in the University of Nottingham Nigerian Society. We came together to have a programme for our charity giving event and we concluded that since Nigeria, as one of the largest population of internally displaced persons in the world, certainly the largest in Africa, we thought we could contribute our widows-might towards alleviating the sufferings of people displaced by various crises, including natural disaster all around Nigeria.”

    According to her all the students made contributions of, “5 pounds and above and after several weeks of intense campaigns, including uploading several videos on our facebook page.”

    “We were able to raise over a thousand pounds. That is what we made to make the several purchases for the IDPs,” she noted. As youths, the student group felt it was imperative to provide books and educational materials including items that would essentially make life easier for

    the less privilege children.

    “I heard a lot of heartbreaking stories when I came,” she said.

    So out of their magnanimity, the youth volunteers were nice enough to extend their warm gestures to the adults by providing anti-malaria mosquito nets. The insecticide-treated nets are expected to protect both parents and their wards from mosquito bites as malaria remained

    one of the deadly infections that cause infant and maternal mortality in the country.

    “Our focus is not on food per se but things that are sustainable and support that will last three years from now. The society of students also wanted to complement the fantastic efforts the federal government is doing to relieve the IDPs in Nigeria.

    “The kind of hope they have is the reason why you know things will be right eventually,” she said.

    Aside from donations, there is high tendency that students who exhibit exceptional academic quality among the disadvantaged pupils would have better chance of getting scholarships. Already the youth organisation has commenced plans to facilitate such outstanding gesture.

    “I will discuss with their teacher now about the kid that shows the greatest promise and where he thinks they could use specific, tailored support, academically or in terms of psychological assistance.”

    “Obviously, we are students ourselves and we have a lot of needs but when you weigh the needs, they need more than we do but we will pick up the little we can and see what we can do to better the lives. We will see what we can do to sponsor some of the students but it depends on what the society back in UK concludes.” The representative however urged the federal government not to relent in its effort to reintegrate the IDPs back to their community.

    The Secretary, Durumi IDPs Camp, Bala Yusuf lauded the kind gesture of the student group. As for him, the Nigerian students in the UK have been helpful to supporting the IDPs. Yusuf was more particular about the Nigerian Society in Nottingham University, stressing that it was the second time representative of the society would be visiting the Durumi IDPs camp.

    “You can see the challenges we have been facing. This sister on behalf of the Nigerians in Nottingham University has been thinking about us and our welfare.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Medicare for the displaced

    Medicare for the displaced

    A radio personality inspires a medical outreach in displaced persons’ camps, reports  GRACE OBIKE 

    Quite a curious relationship exists between internally displaced persons in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the authorities. There are more than six of their camps there but the territory’s administration recognises none of them.

    That is not to say the administrators do not help, but such help comes in trickles, never clearly defined, almost an afterthought.

    So how do the displaced in the FCT get by? Mostly through private outreaches. This time a radio personality is their benefactor.

    They live in shacks made of polythene, sacks and cartons or in uncompleted buildings without toilets, windows or doors, even under the most severe weather conditions.

    Although several residents of Abuja have made it their mission to cater to their basic needs of food, clothing and in some cases educational and medical needs, their living condition often makes them ill without cash to buy medicine.

    Secretary of the Kuchigoro camp Enoch Yohanna explained that 50% of the camp population is suffering from malaria and most of their pregnant women do not go for antenatal because the primary health care centre in old Kuchigoro that they are suppose to make use of often goes on strike which makes it difficult to know when they work.

    “We appreciate all the other assistance that we get, like food and clothing but this free medical mission is one of what we need the most, they are saving our lives with this opportunity because we have been suffering, there is presently no medical centre created to cater for the needs of the IDPs here, presently almost 50% of our population is having malaria, I just recovered from it. They are just complaining, you can go round and you will see them just sleeping.

    “They are also using the opportunity to see our pregnant women for their antenatal care because most of them don’t have the opportunity to go for antenatal because they are supposed to be going to a primary health care centre at the old Kuchigoro but I think they go on strike oftentimes so we mostly don’t know when they are working.”

    Abuja broadcaster Grace Epko popularly known as Lady G with Wazobia FM called for help on air and her listeners responded. Aids flooded the camps.

    “I got to know about the state of the camps from individuals who visited and saw the detoriating state of the camps, the living conditions and I decided to pay a visit to the camp. I mentioned my intentions on air and the people from the When in Need Foundation (WINfound) called and offered to partner with me.

    “We came to Kuchigoro camp and what we saw was not really pleasant, so I went on air and began campaigning for support and people have been awesome, people came from all over the city to drop their contributions with us, which is really wonderful especially with the present economic downturn.”

    President/ CEO of WINFound Chetachi Ecton explained that she and her team of volunteers decided to partner with Lady G on a medical mission around the camps in Abuja to help the IDPs in an area they believe that their help is really needed.

    “When I saw pictures of the condition of the camps, I cried because I couldn’t understand why these individuals after so many years are still living in cardboard boxes; the water in some of the camps is so dirty, the children are fed near the gutter which we all know could be infected with anything, so I decided to do a medical mission, I said because of the dirty water around and the mosquitoes, I wonder how many people have suffered malaria so far, how many people have died of malaria.

    “But not just malaria, what about the pregnant women here, how are they taken care of, the men, how are they taken care of? So I decided to expand the medical mission to include everyone, the idea was to come for children alone for malaria testing but we can’t do the children and forget their parents so we decided to treat malaria, high blood pressure and as much as we can do in a day.

    “We have five or six doctors, nurses, lab technicians as soon as they heard what we where doing, they where volunteering to come. We have done other things in several states in the country.

    “Our foundation is global, whatever you see here has been done global, my team and I will decide when and how often to come back for medical missions and maybe when I return to the US, I will be lucky to find some colleagues that will donate their time to come back to help, this is going to be a continuous effort for us with the IDPs because they need us.”

     

  • Borno: SEMA trains displaced women on skills acquisition

    Borno: SEMA trains displaced women on skills acquisition

    The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Borno, said it had begun the training of 2,500 women displaced by insurgency in the state on various skills.

    Executive Chairman of the agency, Alhaji Satomi Ahmad, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

    Ahmad said that the beneficiaries were vulnerable groups, drawn from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in 20 local government areas, who were currently taking refuge in the state capital.

    He said that the measure was to boost entrepreneurship skills of the women to enable them to generate income and carter for themselves and family when they returned to their communities.

    He explained that the training was geared toward impacting relevant knowledge and skills to boost the socio-economic activities in the state.

    “One of the cardinal policies of Gov. Kashim Shettima is youth empowerment, job creation and poverty reduction among the teeming population in Borno.

    “That is why we are showing great concern to empower the IDPs who have suffered great losses in their various communities.

    “At the end of the day, we want all the women to go back home with the skills acquired so that they could generate income, carter for themselves and engage in meaningful socio-economic activities,’’ Ahmad said.

    According to him, in the course of the four months training, the beneficiaries will be exposed to various skills, including tailoring, leather works, knitting, beads making and soap making.

    He added that some persons would also be trained on computer programs, GSM repairs and installation of satellite dish.

     

  • Relief for the displaced

    Relief for the displaced

    Internally displaced persons or IDPs at the Karshi and Kuje camps have had cause to smile, a rare development. Camp life is tough, but thanks to workers of Skye Bank, good-natured gesture of kindness  changed the camp mood.

    The IDPs said it was a special Sunday when workers of the bank paid them a visit that left a lasting impression on the victims of natural disaster and insurgency.

    The visitors’ first port of call was New Karshi’s trafitional ruler’s palace. Though the monarch was away, the distribution of the materials went on without any hitches. For about four hours, the bank staff distributed food and household materials to the IDPs.

    No one was left behind, the old, the young and the elderly all went back with something to cherish and were grateful. The fears anticipated by the IDPs that the materials brought might not go round was soon dispelled when it was discovered that each IDP might even get double share of the materials.

    Prior to that time, the IDPs were on the brink of breaking protocols with the surging crowded overwhelm the security operatives until they were assured that everyone would go home with enough.

    Musa Abdulahi, Chairman IDPs, New Karshi, Karu Local Government summed up the feelings of his colleagues in the camp with prayers for the bank workers.”May almighty God bless them with their families as they give us supports with the best understanding of how we have been suffering in this place. We pray for them and their families too, including the bank where they are working. God will bless them all”.

    Abdulahi said the prayers were necessary because of the kind of life and living the IDP were suddenly exposed after being displaced from their homes. According to him, it is difficult surviving as a displaced person who is now exposed to a new environment, culture and at an advanced age.

    “I go for hard labour before I could take care of my family. Some-time, they give me a portion of land, so I farm because it’s over 12 months I got to karshi. Since I left my area on 5th August, 2014, in Gwoza, Borno State. They pay me after the labour before I now help my family.” Abdulahi said that was the typical daily routine of an IDPs in new Karshi where all the IDPs were housed by indigenes of the village rather than being housed in a camp.

    The train moved to Abuja at 30 Village, Pegi, Kuje where most of the IDPs were of Chibok origin. It was the same complaints that it was more of abandonment by the government. They were equally grateful to the bankers for creating time to be with them.

    The bank workers also expressed fulfilment at the gesture they were able to extend to the victims of insurgency. According to the leader of the team, Idris Yakubu, Executive Director Abuja and Northern Directorate of Skye Bank, the initiative to give back to the society was entirely hatched and executed by the workers – from the Chief Executive to the last worker. A pointer to the fact was seeing Yakubu physically involved in off – loading and sharing of the materials. He said the bank workers were not forced into donating to the cause, as it was voluntary, “There is joy in giving. Even the workers of the bank are very happy in doing this. This is not the first time we are doing this. So our workers are not tasked, it’s a voluntary contribution. You give what you can give. We don’t force anybody to give but we only encourage them. Our staff wants to identify with the environment and the people, they were very happy even to contribute the funds we have given all together. Next year, with the success of this, we will do lot more and our shareholders will be very happy that we are identifying with the IDPs at this point in time. On why the bank workers identified IDPs for the gesture, Yakubu added, “This year, because of the situation we founded ourselves in the country; we decided to identify with our brothers and families in the northeast who are displaced. So our desire was to identify with the IDPs who are living in these areas and come to their needs and minimize the impact of the suffering they are undertaking currently. We partnered with two of our partners NGOs who had done this before, so what we are doing is a painstaking exercise because we wanted to be sure that whatever we do as bank workers reach the communities that deserve them. So we are doing both Karshi in Nasarawa State and Kuje camp in Abuja”.

     

     

  • ITF’s skills acquisition scheme for internally displaced persons begins

    ITF’s skills acquisition scheme for internally displaced persons begins

    • CPC opens Consumer Voice on TV

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has finalised plans to commence a skills acquisition project for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Nigeria.

    The initiative, according to its Director-General, Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, is in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to the reduction of poverty and crime across the country.

    She spoke when she paid an unscheduled visit to the camps of the internally displaced persons in Jos.

    Meanwhile,  Consumer Protection Council (CPC) said it will begin a consumer education television programme today to equip consumers with the necessary skills for market interactions.

    In a statement, CPC said the new move was designed to raise the bar of consumer education for Nigerian consumers to assume their rightful kingship position in their interactions in the market place.

    The ITF chief assured the IDPs that the agency, in line with its mandate, would provide vocational and technical trainings and help open up employment opportunities, noting that the training programmes would kick off very soon.

  • UN worried by 200,000 displaced Nigerians

    UN worried by 200,000 displaced Nigerians

    United Nations agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), expressed yesterday its concern about the consequences of insecurity in Nigeria and the over 200,000 displaced people.

    A number of the displaced are seeking refuge in Niger, Cameroon and Chad, while others are waiting at the borders, the agency said

    “Nearly half a million people – refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons and local communities – face an acute food security and livelihood crisis,” added WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs at a news conference in Geneva.

    Civilians in  the northeast are fleeing Boko Haram attacks.

    Emphasising the plight of newly arriving refugee children in Niger and Cameroon, Ms. Byrs said malnutrition rates have surpassed emergency thresholds.

    “In some violence-affected areas near the Cameroon-Nigeria border, acute malnutrition rates among children under five years of age could be as high as 36 percent,” she warned.

    With the arrival of the rainy season, already stretched health centres would struggle to cope, she continued. As food became scarce, some 4,000 refugees have moved to the Minawao refugee camp since the end of April. “Displaced people said they could not rely for help on host communities which are already struggling to access food”, she added.

    Making up 75 per cent of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, 84 per cent of internally displaced persons in Cameroon, and more than 80 per cent of the Nigerian refugees in Niger, women and children are the most exposed.

    WFP aims to provide food to nearly 400,000 people each month but it is impossible without urgent funding, stressed the spokesperson. The Programme is less than 50 per cent funded – with $41.6 million needed until the end of the year.

    “In April-May, WFP provided food to about half of the people it was planning to assist and, in some instances, the ration size was reduced”, Ms. Byrs said.

  • FOMWAN to lift the displaced

    FOMWAN to lift the displaced

    The Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Lagos State Chapter has concluded arrangements to donate materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    Amirah (female president), Dr Sariyu Ashiru disclosed it yesterday during a briefing on the FOMWAN Week.

    Ashiru urged the public to donate materials, both in cash and kind to the displaced persons.

    According to her, the association would soon hold a special prayer for the nation.

    She said: “Since we have just changed to a new government, we need to pray for the new administration tread the right path.”

    With Service to Humanity: Path to Jannah as the theme, Ashiru said the week-long activities would include symposium, visitation, prayers, special jumat service and advocacy at each local government.