From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi
Bauchi state governor, Malam Isa Yuguda has reinstated his commitment and social needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) residing in the state.
Yuguda made the statement on Wednesday, when he received the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees in Nigeria and Country Representative of ECOWAS, Mrs. Angele D. Ayaugana in Bauchi.
He said Bauchi state have witnessed influx of people from neighboring conflicts states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa including Plateau due to ethnic and religious conflicts.
He said that about six hundred thousand IPDs have so far been assimilated within the society through friends and distance relations.
According to him, hundreds of thousands are currently taking temporary shelter in four local government of Toro, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro and Bauchi local councils.
He sought the support and partnership of UNHCR in the area of permanent shelter, social communities, health-care services and education.
Yuguda, while appreciating the commitment of the United Nation High Commissioner on refugees assured of his government readiness to assist the international organization towards actualizing its set objectives and mission in the state.
He explained that Bauchi is relatively peaceful compared to many states in the region in term of ethno-religoius conflict, adding that the state have some security challenges but his administration is collaborating with security agencies in the state to surmount the issue.
In her remarks, UNHCR country representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS Mrs. Angele Atagana said she was in Bauchi in preparation to establish UNHCR zonal center to cover Bauchi, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.
Atagana stressed that Bauchi is strategic to north east conflict prone areas, explaining that part of the activities of the center will include registration and identification of IPDs, capacity building of stakeholders on conflict management and rehabilitation.
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