By
Ayodeji Stephen
The Honourable Federal Commissioner
National Commission For Refugees, Migrants, And Internally Displaced Persons,
Imaan Sulaiman - Ibrahim fsi, has commended the President Muhammadu Buhari -
led Federal Government for demonstrating commendable political will in ensuring
a coordinated approach towards social inclusion to combat the effects of
poverty and strengthening the nation’s existing social safety net initiatives.
She stressed that this noble policy by
the present administration has provided succor
for nation’s Persons of Concern.
She pointed out that the consistent effort
of the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,
Disaster Management and Social Development under the leadership of the
Honourable Minister, Hajia Sadiq Umar Farouq, has brought great relief to many
families with the attendant hopes for Persons of Concern.
The Federal Commissioner stated this while giving remarks at the on occasion of Domestication of the African
Union Convention on Internally Displaced Persons (Kampala Convention), held in
Lagos.
The forum which had several international partners and development
Agencies in attendance was planned to address issues concerning the
domestication of the Charter on Internally Displaced Persons with the
supporting legal framework.
It would be recalled that the Federal Hounorable Commissioner, Imaan
Sulaiman Ibrahim has continued to make remarkable feats, unveiling the Commission
and bringing on board various initiatives that amply address the plights of
Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria since her assumption of duties.
She has also restored corporate trust of the Commission with commendable
accountability and prudence human capacity management.
Speaking at the forum, Imaan Sulaiman – Ibrahim told participants that “The significance of this pivotal retreat cannot be
overstated, given that it marks the start of a new phase of our
inter-institutional engagement in the development of the long-awaited stand-alone
domestication of the African Union Convention on Internally Displaced Persons
(Kampala Convention).
“The
Kampala convention was adopted regionally on the 23rd October, 2009
and Nigeria ratified the the Convention in April 2012, and the NCFRMI, in
collaboration with relevant stakeholders, began the process of domesticating
the Convention through the NCFRMI Draft Bill, which is currently in National
Assembly after a multi-stakeholder amendment was carried out to address grey areas
previously identified. This will further re-enforce our Bill.
"Kampala Convention (KC) is a pioneering instrument, the first legally binding instrument on IDPs, and is a standard-setting international instrument of regional scope on how to provide protection and assistance as well as durable solutions for IDPs throughout the continent of Africa. It provides an appropriate legal framework for the protection and assistance of IDPs. It is geared towards ending internal displacements by addressing the root causes, providing durable solutions, and enhancing or addressing gaps where no legal instrument protects the housing, land, and property (HLP) rights of the vulnerable IDP. Article 3 (2) of the KC provides that State Parties should incorporate, that is domesticate the KC into its domestic laws by enacting or amending relevant legislation.
“The Kampala
Convention reaffirms existing international and regional laws, including human
rights, international humanitarian law, and consolidates these standards into a
single instrument designed to address the unique characteristics of internal
displacement in African countries, while also providing a clearer and stronger
legal basis for the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Consequently, the Kampala Convention, in accordance with the Guiding Principles
on Internal Displacement, covers all causes and phases of internal displacement
and expressly commits both State parties and other stakeholders to act, to the
extent of their capacity, to prevent displacement and to assist and protect
internally displaced persons throughout their displacement until a durable
solution is found.
“The NCFRMI bill clearly assigns roles among stakeholders in the provision of various forms of assistance to IDPs. The National Emergency Management Agency, for instance, are mandated to provide 1st response support to Persons of Concern in an emergency situation, which is quite distinct from the role of providing durable solutions by the NCFRMI.
She applauded the President Buhari led administration saying “On this note, with utmost respect, I take the liberty to recognize and applaud the commitment and consistent efforts of the government, and our dear President, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari in ensuring a coordinated approach towards social inclusion to combat the effects of poverty and for strengthening the nation’s existing social safety net initiatives and providing succour for our Persons of Concern.
“In a very special way, I also want to
acknowledge our Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia
Sadiya Umar Farouq, for her patience, drive and sense of purpose in ensuring a holistic coordination of all sectors in the humanitarian sphere. You are
truly our “Mama Persons of Concern”.
“I extend my appreciation to the UNHCR for their ongoing technical
and financial assistance, as well as to the technical officials in the Ministry
and Commission for their contributions so far and for the knowledge they will
provide during this Retreat. It is anticipated that drafting this law as a
stand-alone Bill would avoid inclinations that hampered the Bill's ascension
through the draft NCFRMI Bill”, the hardworking Honourable Federal Commissioner
said.
Other partners delivered goodwill messages at the event.
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