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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
It was a no-holds-barred conversation as representatives of 78,000 registered refugees drawn from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Eritrea, Chad, Niger and Pakistan recounted their experiences in Nigeria.
It was different tales for different folks. While tears flowed freely due to the hardship experienced by some refugees since their arrival, laughter also filled the air as fortune has smiled on others.
For some, settling in Nigeria was due to the war and pestilence pestering their countries, others came in search of greener pastures.
They spoke at a town hall meeting organised by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), in partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), recently.
In her opening address, NCFRMI federal commissioner, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stated that the meeting was to enable her get first-hand information on the wellbeing of refugees and how they are treated in Nigeria.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim assured them that the Nigerian government, which is a signatory to over 55 international conventions on refugees, would always abide by the treaties regarding the welfare of legal refugees.
“Today is just about us meeting ourselves and rubbing minds and how we can take things to another level.
“As I have also said, Nigeria is a welcoming country for all. Globally, they are treaties that have been signed and we are committed to ensuring that we hold up our end of the bargain,” she said.
A refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nyuydine Jacqueline Blaise, who opened the floor, lamented that her three children were unable to register for the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination (JAMB) because of exorbitant fees.
Blaise added that bandits worsened her plight by destroying her crops in Benue State, a business she would have used to earn money to register her children for examinations.
She said: “In the days of harvesting, you abandon the farm because of insecurity. It makes no sense. We have only one father, which is the UNHCR. Our father in Nigeria is the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).
“Some of us are getting older. These children would come up and we do not want them to continue as refugees. We want them to be educated so that they can assist others. Today, we are pleading for assistance. My son will be writing WAEC.
“The government is collecting over N40,000. Where will I raise that money? And the camp we live in, people know us as refugees. They tell us to go to our commission, which is NCFRMI. So, madam, we seek your indulgence to help us.”
Cho Ernest, from Cameroon, who corroborated Blaise’s plight on education, called on NCFRMI to soften the ground for them to get referees in order to get jobs.
Ernest added that even with authentic documents, they get hunted and chased around by officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Ernest said: “We have a lot of enemies who are monitoring us, chasing us and following us. Some of us are documented refugees. Then on the issue of education, some of us have kids.
“We appeal to the commission to assist for their school fees. As I am talking to you now, some of our kids want to write JAMB, some want to write WAEC. We do not have money to register them for the exams. Also, we need referees to enable us work in embassies and other places. Some of us are business-minded people. We need grants or even loans. There should be structures to monitor the loans and we will pay back.”
A Cameroonian refugee, Epah Paul Fossoh, who claimed to be a communication officer, complained that after writing to NCFRMI and NIS for the renewal of his papers, he did not get a response. Fossoh noted that all he received was an acknowledgement copy from the agencies, without his request granted.
He further flayed the activities of the NIS officers at a checkpoint at Vandeikya in Benue State.
According to him, NIS personnel maltreat refugees even with their complete papers, adding that they are forced to stay in camps.
He said: “I am a communication officer and interpreter. I have so many documents in my bag that I have written to the National Commission since 2017, 2018, 2019 till date, even to the United Nations High Commission, all I see is ‘received,’ without feedback.
“It is disheartening that they are pressing issues. Sometimes, it has to do with insecurity. At times it has to do with somebody’s ill health somewhere.
“Without any feedback, we still rally ourselves as brothers and sisters to intervene in such a situation.
“Still on insecurity, I want to use myself as an example: Travelling to Calabar from Abuja, there is a place before you get to Ogoja called Vandeikya in Benue State, where you have Immigration officers.
“If you are stopped, interrogated and even with your papers, if indicated that you are a refugee, they tell you that you do not have any right to move around.
“They will tell you that you are supposed to be in the camp. I am a professional. Most of us you see here, before we left our country, we were doing well.
“It is because of the war. It does not mean that we just came here for greener pastures.
“We try to integrate ourselves in Nigeria. So, when we are travelling with our documents, or ID cards, we have some (phone) numbers on that status.
“If the numbers on that status are not correct, the Immigration personnel can call or verify. But they will not. And because of my situation, all other passengers cannot move. And because I have paid the driver, he cannot abandon me there.
“There should be a training for some Immigration officers for them to know that such an individual needs passage to wherever he is going to provided they have these documents.
“Also, some of us have documents that have expired. Like myself, I have the NHIS I was looking for how to renew it. I think it is one year renewable.
“I was living somewhere else. My house was burgled while I was away.
“Some people sent me to the police to do an extract, which I did. I wrote to the office of the former federal commissioner who minuted on it because my documents were lost. I reapplied for the CTT and they took my fingerprint. But till date, nothing has been done on that.
“If the National Commission has done well we must appreciate it, and when they err we must point it out.
“When it comes to livelihood, I do not think there was any gathering of refugees except without my knowledge that a grain of rice was shared to refugees not even on Salah or Christmas Day.
“It was in 2017 that I received some packages from the commission in collaboration with ECOWAS. Are we not entitled to some of these things?
“We must not come to seek for rice or oil to eat. I also believe that you do not have to give me fish; empower me. I am very much concerned about feedback.”
Regardless of the harrowing experiences shared, a Palestinian refugee, Ahmad Ali, said he has enjoyed peace since he came to Nigeria.
Ali, who is into building of houses, said he failed so many times and even went bankrupt but fought back.
“I would love to bring something positive out of all that has been said. We have peace here (in Nigeria). I can move in the streets.
“I have freedom of speech. I can speak and not be hunted and followed. I suffered. I have been through a lot.
“Nobody knows except me and my family. I was hungry. I was homeless. I have proof of all that.
“There was a time I never had money for treatment for myself and my wife. I have to say this to encourage the rest of you.
“I was an employee. I remained an employee for over 15 years. I started my own business and I suffered.
“I went bankrupt not once, two times even three times. I bounced back. That would not have been possible if there was no peace.
“Thank God some of the best hospitals are here. There is good education, good neighbourhood, good police system.
“I advice you, as a fellow refugee, take these cases to the police, they will attend to you just like they attend to any other Nigerian.
“Nigeria is my home now. I know of a refugee who is a chef here. He brought his own ideas from his home country. Just work hard. If there is anything we can do to help each other we will love to do that,” he said.
After listening to their stories, the NCFRMI boss said: “We will continue to work closely together so that we can end up with the right kind of solutions that we all desire and can strengthen our relationship with foreigners.
“We will continue to do more. You know that there are gaps, especially the post-COVID-19 era where we have a few more challenges that we had to create our own new normal.
“Because the real definition of being successful is being able to learn and unlearn different things, it is my pleasure to meet each and every one of you today and to know that this is such a powerful gathering with professionals and people that want more from life.
“I am proud of you that, regardless of the situation, you appreciate the reason you are still standing today. Because life happens and we had to flee from wherever we were.
“But I am glad that you have found Nigeria to be home and you have started to work on different areas of your life. We are here to support you.
“We want you to be doing something. You have no excuse whatsoever. Good enough, Nigeria is a playground for a lot of artistic people.
“We love music and I am looking forward to listening to your music because I am sure that you are going to get the right kind of support, explore the music world.
“I am here to assure you that it is a new dawn in a new era that the fact that we are survivors is not enough, we must also trigger prosperity for ourselves not just in Nigeria but beyond.
“I know that there are key areas for us to address but I can assure you that we have a lot of refugee programmes.
“When you come into Nigeria and end your refugee status, you have equal rights like every Nigerian.
“We want everybody in this room to rise up to the challenge to creat the future that they desire. Our job here is to ensure that you do not face any difficulty in settling in.”
