…as C’River accommodates 50,000 refugees
By Onwa Ekor
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, says the presence of refugees in the state has continued to place pressure on host communities infrastructure and social services, necessitating enhanced federal and international support.
Otu stated this at the maiden National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction (NCHAPR) with the theme, “Beyond the national: Strengthening sub-national and multi-stakeholder synergy for a unified approach to humanitarian response and poverty reduction,” held in Calabar, recently.
Represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon Peter Odey, the governor pointed out that “the state continues to accommodate about 50,000 registered Cameroonian refugees in settlements across Ogoja, Ikom, Obanliku, Etung, Akamkpa and Boki local government areas,” a development that requires enhanced federal and international support to curb the associated challenges.
He also listed among other pressing concerns, poverty and livelihood vulnerability, thousands of internally displaced persons being hosted by the state resulting from communal conflicts within and around borders, as well as flooding and erosion including windstorm and environmental disaster which calls for urgent intervention to mitigate the impact.
The governor who affirmed that his administration has continued to mitigate the challenges within available resources, sought the Council’s support to strengthen the state emergency management and humanitarian system, provide durable solutions for IDPs and rehabilitate communities affected by flood and windstorm.
“Let us remember that humanitarianism is not just a polity, it is a moral obligation to uplift life and restore dignity,” Otu said, admitting that, “together we can make humanitarian action efficient, inclusive and sustainable in line with the theme of the Council.”
In his keynote address, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, explained that the policy thrust of the ministry via the National Commission for Refugees, migrants and displaced persons, is how to resettle the migrants, reintegrate them into the society as well as making them resilient and graduating them to independence and self reliance.
Doro who informed that over 25 million citizens require humanitarian assistance annually, while 60 percent of the population live in multidimensional poverty with States and local government areas at the front line of the challenges, stressed the need to strengthen the capacity through financing, skills development, enabling local led and context specific solutions as well as data integration and institutional support.
Minister of State in the ministry, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, argued that humanitarian efforts and poverty alleviation are not just responsibilities, but privileges that all must embrace with compassion, diligence and unwavering determination.
For Muriel Mafico who represented the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Malick fall, the Council needs to make data driven decisions, allocate and use resources where mostly needed while addressing disparities across the country.
Earlier in her welcome address, Commissioner for humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Dr. Helen Isamoh, informed that the forum provides a unique opportunity to share experiences and strengthen a better development collaboration in responding to emerging humanitarian challenges, building resilience and empowering vulnerable population across the state.
The event featured lectures on the Council’s theme, presentation of the report of the technical session and adoption of the draft communique of the first NCHAPR.
