The Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Displaced Persons, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has said plans have been concluded to close down Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps across the country.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who disclosed this while
speaking on the sidelines of the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Integrity Movement, ANIM, courtesy visist paid the commission a courtesy visit, said the exercise will begin from Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
“The Federal Government has done well with establishing structures, but it’s very important that we continue to strengthen them, so they can rise up to emerging challenges confronting people of concern.
“The mandate of the commission is provision of durable solutions and sustainable solutions for all persons of concerns is an evolving area, with different dimensions of challenges. Therefore, there is need to strengthen the instruments to support to achieve its mandate for the government and people,” she said.
On the current state of persons of concerns in the country, she said, “We have a secondary role not a primary role, in the areas of people living in the camps; what we try to do is get them out of the camp as soon as possible.”
The commissioner, however, said the response has been a bit challenging because of the manner and frequency of the way things happen.
“So now, we are putting a plan together towards exiting camps and reducing numbers, while piloting from FCT.
“We will continue to work with other levels of government and the state government to see that we achieve the highest sustainable solution for persons of concern,” she said.
On the challenges confronting the mandate of the commission, she stated, that “we don’t focus on challenges because what you focus on is what you bring about and our focus is closing the gaps.”
Also speaking, the National leader of ANIM, Sadiq Fakai, passed a vote of confidence on the commissioner and explained that the purpose of his group embarking on the visit was to honour the agency for its achievements.
