Experts accuse FG of treating IDPs poorly

Okwe Obi

Development Experts under the umbrella of Journalists for Christ International Outreach, have accused the Federal Government of not sufficiently catering for the wellbeing of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), noting that most of them now indulge in menial jobs to cater for themselves.

JFC Project Advisor, Sanmi Falobi, while presenting a report titled ‘Managing Internal Displacement Crisis in Nigeria’ yesterday in Abuja, he added that violent conflicts had contributed to the huge number of IDPs in the country.

To this end, he solicited legislative and institutional framework to protect the rights of IDPs and adequately provide for them, stressing that it would give them a sense of belonging as citizens of Nigeria.

He also frowned at the unavailability of a holistic database on displacement and resettlement of IDPs in camps, host communities, and nongovernmental resettlement camps.

He said: “One critical conclusion that emerged from the study relates to the need for strengthened legislative and institutional with commitment to enforcing global best practices in line with international standards to ensure greater sense of responsibility and accountability amongst actors concerned with the management of IDPs in Nigeria.

“The welfare and security of IDPs depend on the extent to which legislative and institutional frameworks are strengthened and enforced in response to the prevailing inhuman situation.”

Meanwhile, Reviewer of the report and Director, Daily Trust Foundation, Theophilus Abah, advocated intensive training for select media stakeholders in issues relating to the improvement on the attention given to the rights and dignity of IDPs.

“There is the need for improving information exchange between journalists and public relation units in charge of the management of IDPs,” he added.