Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called on global leaders to join hands in building structures to provide support for people forced to flee from crisis and other forms of social and economic issues that cause dislocation from homes.
The governor, who said this on the occasion of the commemoration of the World Refugee Day, marked every June 20, by the United Nations and its various organs, stressed that support should be provided for refugees so that they don’t succumb to the harsh conditions of forced resettlements, such as malnutrition, poverty and all forms of rights’ abuse.
The governor said the rising cases of refugees within Nigeria and across the world is an indication of the need for governments to strengthen institutions to protect and provide for conditions necessary for inclusive development.
He noted, “On this day, we are reminded of the need to shun ideas, practices and agendas that promote strife, violence and crisis, all of which are conditions that force people out of their natural settlement and seek refuge elsewhere.
“In Nigeria, we have had to contend with the issues of Internally Displaced Persons as a result of the insurgency in the Northeast. The imperative to continue to support our fellow countrymen cannot be over-emphasized and in Edo State, we have extended a hand of support to the IDPs in the various camps built in the state to shelter them and we will continue to make provision for them.”
He stressed that while the challenge of refugees cannot be wished away as a result of ongoing conflict in different parts of the world, he called on world leaders to strengthen their support for initiatives that provide succor to affected persons, fortify multilateral coalition and deploy resources to ensure that refugees’ rights are protected and that they get to live decent lives regardless of their current circumstance.
“We acknowledge that this issue strikes home as many of our sons and daughters who were deceived and trafficked may have fallen to the unfortunate fate that now make them refugees in other countries. In the last few months, we have worked to reintegrate them into society. We will continue to do this as we strengthen institutions to stem the rise of the menace,” he added.
