…As FG Releases N15 Billion to Resettle Refugees
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, alongside his Borno counterpart, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, earlier today, attended the meeting of the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East of Nigeria.
The meeting, chaired by Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo had in attendance other members of the presidential committee, including the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister fir Justice, Abubakar Malami.
Both Governors Inuwa and Zulum are members of the Presidential Technical Committee with the Borno Governor serving as Deputy Chairman.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Governor Babagana Zulum disclosed that the government has released the sum of N15 billion for the Fourth Phase of repatriation, return and resettlement of citizens who were refugees in neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
The Vice Chairman of the Technical Presidential Committee on Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Displaced Persons in the North East, said the meeting, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, discussed the modalities for the implementation of the exercise.
“We are here to discuss the modalities for implementation, who does what. So far so good. A lot has been discussed.
“Many items will be procured so that the repatriation exercise will take immediate effect.”
Governor Zulum said the modalities discussed at the meeting also included “what should be given to the individuals in terms of food and non-food items; what type of house shall we build; what is the transportation medium; what is the minimum threshold required to return people from the neighbouring countries to Nigeria.
“These are some of the issues that were discussed according to international best practices.”
According to Governor Zulum, more than 300,000 have so far been repatriated, returned and resettled in Nigeria since the exercise commenced.
“This is the 4th Phase of the repatriation exercise we shall embark upon very soon. Guidelines were provided for respective agencies that are to handle this matter,” Zulum added.
It would be recalled that many Nigerian citizens have over the years been forced to neighboring countries due to insurgents’ onslaught around communities bordering northeastern parts of the country.
