The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, Basheer Garba-Mohammed, has expressed his resolve to work closely with the state governors to return and reintegrate all the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to their various communities in 2020.
Mr Garba-Mohammed disclosed this on Monday when he paid a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, to brief the President on the current activities of the agency.
“In 2020, my first point of action will be to work with State Governors to return and reintegrate IDPs to their communities. It is time that they begin to live normal lives and feel the pulse of a growing Nigeria,” a statement signed by the NCFRMI’s Head of Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, quoted the federal commissioner as saying.
Mr Garba-Mohammed also used the occasion to share with the President the new direction of the agency, saying that since his assumption into office, he had been making efforts towards repositioning the agency from the provision of relief items to the care, maintenance as well as provision of durable solutions to the IDPs.
According to him, the NCFRMI’s strategic mandate was the fulcrum for interventions in Nigeria that cater to the needs of 2.4 Million IDPs and other vulnerable people in the country.
“Since coming into office the NCFRMI Federal Commissioner has made a commitment to move from the provision of relief items to the care, maintenance and durable solutions that will reintegrate Persons of Concern (POCs) into normal lives where they can thrive,” the statement noted.
“The highlight of the visit was Mohammed’s recollection of the massive campaign in the 80s to stem the brain drain migration during President Buhari’s tenure as Head of State.
“I intend to bring back ‘Andrew’ and educate Nigerians on what is available in Nigeria. We will also seek to educate the average citizen on the safe, orderly and regular migration routes to take when traveling abroad so that we don’t lose as many Nigerians.
“He further stated that the Commission would prioritize a campaign detailing the many opportunities available in the country in order to reduce irregular migration.
“He also listed the establishment of Informal Educational Learning Centers, amongst several other programmes and projects to be undertaken by the Commission in the year 2020.
“The Commission plans to build Informal Educational Learning Centres in all IDP camps.
“This will encourage learning in children unable to attend regular schools and those with special needs due to the trauma of displacement,” the statement noted.
