By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja 

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim on Monday made startling revelations about the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) the country, placing their number at 3 million.

Ibrahim who is the Federal Commissioner for the National Refugees for National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons said that the number added by one million in the past one year. 

The Commissioner also said over 500,000 Nigerians were awaiting repatriation from Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Cameroon, Libya and other countries.

She added that country was also host to about 73, 000 refugees from 23 countries. 

Ibrahim spoke while defending the 2022 budget of the agency with the House of Representatives Committee on IDPs and Refugees chaired by Hon. Mohammed Jega.

“Due to the current unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Nigerian and the alarming growth rate of displacement, the number of IDPs have increased in the past one year by about 1milion causing the number of displaced persons in Nigeria to rise to a frightening 3 million.

“Nigeria is also host to about 73, 000 refugees from 23 countries with over 500, 000 Nigerians awaiting repatriation from Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Cameroon, Libya and other countries.

“We know that data is very scarce in this area of work we do but we are still working on ensuring that we have accurate data that we can properly reference but whatever we have we would present based on the figures that I have given”, she said.

Speaking on the 2022 budget, the Commissioner said that the proposed aggregate expenditure for 2022 is N5, 740, 063, 922.

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The details, she said, consisted of  N1, 182, 728, 095 for recurrent cost and N4, 457, 335, 827 for  the capital component.  

She called for increase in the budgetary allocation of the agency to enable it increase its presence across the 6 geo-political zones and deliver on its mandate effectively.

A member of the committee, Hon. Darlington Nwokocha had in his remarks asked Ibrahim to make the data of the refugees and others available to enable the committee take positive measures.

“This is budget defence and we expect that after this presentation, we now transmit to appropriation and then to the main House of the Whole.

You said that in Nigeria is also host host to about 73, 000 refugees from 23 countries with over 500, 000 Nigerians awaiting repatriation from Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Cameroon, Libya and other countries. I think it is important that you have presented the indices of this particular information because we need to verify. 

“We are not verifying that you are not doing then right thing or the wrong thing. We would like to have the numbers of these people, the location and things alike that because that would give us the strength and ability to track their information to ensure it is properly included cost wise in this budget”, he said.

Similarly, another member of the Commitee, Hon. Awaji Abiante (PDP, Rivers) also raised a question about recurring issue of resetting the people of Bakassi to which N200 million was appropriated in 2022 budget.

“I don’t know how long we would be resettling Bakassi IDPs. I don’t know for how long. That has been around for over 10 years. We keep resettling them. We resettle until we resettle the fourth generation. Do we have statistics? 

“As as today how many have been resettled in terms of figures and percentage. So we know what is left. Let it not look as if we are pouring water into a basket. It would be unending. Every year resettlement Bakassi. How many people have been resettled. What is the percentage of the outstanding IDPs that need to be resettled?” he asked. 

The Committee also frowned at the recurring N25 million paid as rent annually for the Commission’s office in Abuja and advised it to acquire a permanent place. 

“You pay almost N25 million for rent. And we have abandoned structures seized by the FG. Why don’t you use your office and get one and save that 25 million for us. Also for welfare N50 million. Is that not too much”, a member of the Committee, Hon. Mohammed Fatahu representing Daura querried.

Vanguard News Nigeria