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By Akpan David, Calabar
A delegation of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, (UNHCR) led by Mr John Mackissick has visited parts of Bakassi to appraise the management of refugees, their challenges and expectations.
The team included other stakeholders such as Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
They also assessed the population explosion in schools and markets in the neighborhood.
The visit took place Thursday and were received by the chairman of the Bakassi local government council, Iyadim Iyadim.
A spokesperson of the delegation, Mr Charles Anaelo, said they had to pay the visit because they suspect that the crisis in neighbouring Cameroon would have spill over effects on the council.
He told journalists, “We are
in Bakassi because it is an international border town, to assess the influx of refugees in the state following the internal crisis in neighboring Republic of Cameron.
“We want to see extent of populations of children in schools as well as in the various markets.
“Our assessments will inform further decisions on the plights of the Bakassi refugees.”
Responding to the council chairman who lamented that the federal government was yet to look into the Bakassi problems years the people returned to Nigeria after their original peninsular was ceded to Cameroon.
Anaelo said: “The Bakassi matter is being addressed at Abuja level.”
Welcoming the team to Bakassi, Iyadim Amboni Iyadim said “The federal government is yet to look into issues concerning the displaced people of Bakassi following the ceding of their ancestorial home to Republic of Cameroon.
“It was no fault of the people to have opted to join their kin in Nigeria for the sake of peace as agreed by the federal government in line with the Green Tree Agreement following international Court of Justice ICJ which assured them of a full resettlement plan.”
He noted that the promise of a modern city with social amenities for the displaced persons have not been met , adding that those who have been deprived of their means of livelihood have not been attended to years after they were forced out their homeland.
According to the Chairman, unemployment and lack of a proper resettlement program has forced some youths in the area to resort to militancy and armed robbery as alternative means of making ends meet
He further stated that the problems of the people was complicated following the ceding of 76 oil wells in the area to Akwa Ibom.
The Chairman disclosed that the first phase of a modern resettlement estate built by the Prof Ben Ayade administration in his attempt to address the problems of the displaced persons was ransacked and looted during the ENDSARS riots of 2020 as those who were accommodated there were displaced.
He implored the delegation to appeal to the federal government to attend to their needs.
