Climate Change: A/Ibom Partners FG To Mitigate Plights Of Refugees, IDPs

To mitigate the plights of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the Akwa Ibom State government has expressed it readiness to launch humanitarian interventions in collaboration with the federal government.

Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga, gave the assurance during a meeting with officials of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, IDPs on a courtesy visit -towards mitigating the impacts of natural disaster on vulnerables in the state.

Appreciating the team for their decision to work with the Ministry, the commissioner assured them of a good working relationship with her Ministry and the State government.

Sympathizing with the team for the challenges they had experienced in the course of their work, Princess Ibanga applauded them for their determination towards assisting the Ministry to access the needed support from the federal government

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs Eno Akpapan, welcoming the team to the ministry, raised concerns on the need for a humanitarian strategic plan which “to blend with what is obtained in the State.”

The permanent secretary, Human Capacity Development and Statistician General, Akwa Ibom State, Mr Uduak Isaac, in his response, expressed the readiness of the state to collaborate with the necessary federal agencies for the Need-Assessment, and key areas of collaboration.

Mr Isaac appealed to the team properly capture Akwa Ibom State as a State with Internally IDPs due to the challenges caused by flood, communal crises, Insurgency, oil spillage, and climate change, lamenting that such crises have swept away some of the coastal lines and many villages have been displaced thereby raising a need for their resettlement,.

“This should be institutionalised and given a priority like what is obtained in the North,” he stressed.

The Special Assistant to The Governor on Entrepreneurial Development, Mrs Meflyn Anwana, describing the Coastal Lines in the state as as littoral area, drew the attention of the team on the need to partner with the State to foster the entrepreneurial development of the people in those areas

Earlier, the spokesperson of the delegation, Mr Eno Essien, who is also from the Research and Documentation Department of the NCFRMI, Abuja, while making his speech said the purpose of the meeting with the Honourable Commissioner is to seek the Akwa Ibom State Government support on a need- assessment, in order to convince the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs of Akwa Ibom State as a state with Internally Displaced Persons IDPs

Mr Essien explained that “it is through the report of such test that certain recommendations could be made for the National Commission to be able to act upon, so as to access the available support from the Federal Government, emphasising that assessment is key to any request.”

He further pleaded that the ministry should ensure a follow up at the end of the assessment in order to ensure that the programme is not diverted or abandoned because of political interests

The team also had in attendance their team lead and Zonal Coordinator NCFRMI, Calabar, Mr Etim Ernest; Okoja Field Officer, Mr Andy Ubon; C.E.O Voice of Bakasi and Refugee Foundation, Prince Aston Joseph; as well as Mr Enobong Umana. Present at the meeting with the Honourable Commissioner and Permanent Secretary were also the management staff, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs