Keeping refugees hope alive...

East or West, an adage says, home is the best. This axiom, however, may not at all time be applicable.
Even for many of the Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees in Nigeria, the adage seems irrelevant as they would not want to return to their home countries even two years after they had been told to do so by their host country and sponsor United Nations ( UN).June 19 and 20 of every year have been declared by the UN a global body as the World Refugees Day, where refugees across the world are remembered.

This year event was marked at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), in Lagos.Organized by African Refugees Uplifment (ARU), a non-profit making civil group, the programme, which also saw to the official launch of FESCH project, has it theme as "Giving life and hope to the hopeless in Africa".

Speaking at the forum, Ambassador Segun Olusola, former ambassador to Ethiopia, said Nigerians need to be aware of problems facing the refugees with the aim of helping them out in the best way they could.
Olusola, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the problem about refugees in Africa and Nigeria inclusive is that the respective government could not help preventing the occurrence of the menace noting that bad governance and it is the same that promotes refugees in the continent.According to him, I have received a large number of refugees of Nigeria origin from Libya when the country sent them out of their country and to worsen the situation, these people could not come with their properties, which they had laboured for because they had to trek across the Sahara to find their way back in the country.

He said the issue on ground at present is of the fear of unknown there since, residual refugees who do not want to go back home because the government of Africa have already decided with the United Nations (UN) that the time for refugees is over and that they should go back to their home countries because the government of Liberia has shown to the world that all the refugees can come back home because peace has been restored.But when you ask these refugees to go back to their countries, they usually decline on the premise that they are doubtful of their safety back home, noting that such has become a phenomenon of refugees in Africa.

The ex-envoy, who noted that there are still many refugees all around Central Africa, foresaw a situation where refugees are built up in Bakassi Peninsula very soon.Condemning of what he considered hurried cessation of Bakassi by the federal government to Cameroon’s government, Olusola asked of what would become of many Nigerians who had hitherto living in the portion ceded to Cameroon?

"There is no provision and no any concrete plan for this group of people by the government to consider as post cessation challenges they are likely to face", he said.So on the remaining Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees in the country, I would appeal particularly to Nigeria’s government not to relent in helping them in whatever capacity it could, noting that doing so would avoid the country the problem of creating refugees within the country.

He said what could make this possible is when the government begins to make laws that clearly differentiate strangers from indigenes.He also said the major problem that African Refugees’ Foundation which he founded is facing currently is how to communicate effectively to the Nigeria public the dichotomy of differentiating between strangers and indigenes and have peace.

And lack of understanding will always result in conflict and consequently degenerate to violent, which may culminate into a full scale war and consequently the running away of citizens to seek refugees elsewhere.Olusola said while lots are still needed to be done for refugees living in Nigeria, Nigerians too should take caution not to become victims of refugees.
The Nigeria public had better be aware of the situation of refugees in the country to avoid vengeance in case of possible similar occurrence in future. He also said priority of the government must be that the stranger dichotomy is managed effectively for the sake of brotherhood.

Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, wife of the Lagos State governor, Raji Fashola(SAN), said it is not the refugees’ making to become refugees in the first place, they are only victims of circumstance, so there is need for them to be loved and cared for.Accepting refugees in our midst and caring for them, Mrs. Abimbola said, will uplift their hopes and aspirations for life.

While advising parents to educate their children on what refugee meant in it real sense and the possibility of becoming refugees in their imediate society, Mrs. Fashola, who spoke through Mrs. Tolu Ifelade, her representative at a forum, said, responsibility to love and care for refugees in camp does not rest solely on the governments, but philanthropists, corporate organizations, civil groups and religious institutions also have part to play in this regard.

On his part, President/ Founder of African Refugees Upliftment (ARU), Mr. Gaious Ben, said it is being herculaen task catering for refugees in the country unlike when they were fully under the control and care of the Nigeria’s government and United Nations, noting that asking refugees to return to their home countries on mere basis of peace restoration is not enough.According to him, it is not all about peace been restored because so many of these refugees had lost contact with their relations; many of them don’t have a particular place to go again because their houses and businesses had all gone with the war. There is also no property and virtually nothing for them to fall back to when getting there.

"So going back home should not be with immediate effect but a gradual process to enable us prepare for the great challenges we are likely to face back home", said Ben, who is also a Liberian refugee, noting that observations have shown that many civil wars in Africa countries including Liberia’s take tribal dimension where people of different ethnic groups continue to nurse grudges against one another particularly consider the manner their loved ones were killed.
Recalling 1993 when many of them went back to Liberia believing peace had been restored, Ben said some of them did not leave to tell the story while some also encountered serious problem that they’re battling with it up till today.

Going down memory lane, Ben said: "I came to Nigeria in 1991 as one of the refugees from Liberia. Even though I cannot claim to be born with a sliver spoon, my family prior to the war lived comfortably well. And the issue of sojourning in a strange land occasioned by war has changed one level entirely. Before the Liberia War, my wish had always been to help the less privileged people if I have the opportunity. But because of the senseless war in my country, I found myself in Nigeria. Initially I stayed at the Liberian Embassy before I letter got hooked to a particular church and from there I began to get my bearing and letter teamed up with some other refugee friends and started visiting refugees camp on a monthly basis and from there I saw the need to form ARU, as a social group to look after the interest of refugees not only in Nigeria but in other parts of Africa".

He explained that FESCH project, which is an offshoot of ARU and known as food, education, salvation, clothing and healthcare is designed purposely to look at the ways basic needs such as food, education, clothing, health care and salvation could be provided to refugees in the camp, adding that the objective of the project is not all about giving alms the times but also about empowerment and encouragement so as not to see themselves inferior before others.

Ben, who, disclosed that no fewer than 5,000 refugees remain in Nigeria said the identified issues that form FESCH, are the basic needs of refugees.

One of them, Mrs. Sonia, a Sierra Leonean, said she has nobody in the camp that could help her again, adding that, all the hope she once had has faded away because nobody is ready to assist her.Sonia, who is a widow and mother of two, said she had once made the move to travel to United States but the plan was scuttled by those who called enemy within, who went against her interest and ensured the plan was cancelled by the UN on the scheduled date of departure.She said since then, she and her two children have been living a struggle life.

Another, Mrs. Betty Kollie, a mother of six, from Liberia said she and her children are surviving only on garri they are frying at the camp, which she said is at subsistence level.She said the camp, which serves as their abode since 1993 is no longer safe for living."This is because nobody is looking after the place again. Even right now, my children are no longer going to school because I cannot afford their school fees and other expenses", she disclosed while using the medium to make a passionate appeal to Nigerian government to come to their aids and do something meaningful to help them.

Like her colleagues, Betty believes that Liberia is still unsafe to return to unlike sound people’s contrary perception about the safety issue."I can not go back at least for now because I don’t have an exact place to go to. My husband is no more, he was killed during the war in 1990. People are only considering our returning back home without looking at other salient issues that attach to such a decision. One of these is the fact that nobody is there at home waiting for us," she declared.

"If we get back to Liberia, could we get audience with the Mr. President? No. If such is even possible that could be probably after about five to six years or more of waiting. So let me tell you going back to Liberia or Sierra Leone is not as easy as people think".

Betty, who disclosed that the camp is very untidy even as they live in fear daily particularly this time around, that the place has also become abode for reptiles particularly snakes, called on government to continuing assisting them so as to rekindle hopes in them.She said war is not a thing to pray for by anybody but whenever it occurs, there ismoral need for unaffected people to assist by showing them love and care, which in turn will keep their hope alive.
"Excerpt from The Champion Newspaper".

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