Govt assures of permanent resettlement for Bakassi returnees
(Nigeria) The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, CR-SEMA, has reassured the displaced Bakassi people currently in temporary camps within the state of a permanent resettlement for them.
Director-General of the agency, Mr John Inaku, gave the
assurance in an interview in Calabar on Sunday.
Thousands of Bakassi returnees have been in temporary camps
in the state since 2010, following Nigeria’s ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to
Cameroon the previous year.
The Federal Government and Cross River Government had
promised to provide permanent resettlement centre for the returnees and
rehabilitate them adequately.
Inaku, however, said that the returnees’ wish for a
permanent resettlement in Dayspring Islands, where they could continue with
their fishing, was not realizable now due to the current poor economic
realities.
According to him, the Cross River Government has been giving
succour to the returnees and plans to provide houses and alternative sources of
livelihood for them.
``The issue of Bakassi returnees is not the sole
responsibility of Cross River. It is a national issue as well as an
international one. So far, it is Cross River that has been doing its best to
provide materials, food, medicals and even education for these people.
``Again, you know how lean our resources are but the Gov.
Ben Ayade-led administration has been able to make available some billions of
Naira to cater for the internally displaced persons.
``Recently, the governor was with them and promised to build
up the area through a social housing scheme in conjunction with a group from
Dortmund, Germany.
``The UN high Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, in
collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and CR-SEMA
has to also build.
``With all these, we are going to have a lot. Already 30
hectares of land has been allotted to us. The Ministry of Lands has been
deployed to mark up the area for a layout,’’ he said.
``Their request for relocation to Day Spring 1 and 2 Island
is a possibility provided we have the resources to sand fill the area,’’ he
added
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