Laraba MUREY
The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, has uncovered alleged mismanagement of relief supplies meant for displaced persons at the Durumi IDP camp in Abuja.
Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, Aliyu Ahmed, who was at the Durumi IDP camp, on Thursday to unveil a computer center donated by Brand Life Vision Foundation, embarked on an inspection of the camp then discovered that food and non-food items meant for distribution to IDPs were being stored in classrooms instead.
The commissioner who condemned the situation, vowed to take action. “However, on our arrival we saw so many things that are not necessary to be happening here in this camp. We have seen the situation where some of the classrooms that we are supposed to have been used put in our people, the people that are living in this camp, were used to keep both food and non-food items that are supposed to have been distributed to the IDPs. We will not take that. We will deal with the situation severely”
Following this discovery, the Commissioner announced plans to set up a committee to investigate similar cases in other IDP camps across Abuja and beyond.
“What we saw here is alarming. We will extend our investigation to other camps because if it’s happening here, it could be happening elsewhere,” he added.
The Commission assured the IDPs that the government remains committed to their welfare. It also promised to relocate 40 households from Durumi to a permanent resettlement site in Keffi, Nasarawa State, where they will have access to education, healthcare, and security.
Meanwhile, the Commission has pledged to continue supporting IDP education by working with the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, to provide teachers for displaced children.
He said, “the Commission will sponsor 10 IDP camp students to pursue their university education in one of the universities that we are going to have a partnership with.
“We are going to pay for their registration to JAMB and also to pay their school fees for the rest of their stay in the university. “
Also speaking, the founder of Brand Life Vision Foundation, Binta Sidi, explained that her target is to train 1,000 people, but for now, she is starting with 32 in adult education and 21 in computer literacy.
She added that for sustainability, her partnership with the Refugee Commission will extend to getting teachers and more infrastructure for the center as she hopes to expand the literacy training to other IDP camps in the country.
