Plight of IDPs and how to rehabilitate them- By Al-Ameen Mumuni

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  • Photo: Mumuni*

Internally displaced persons or IDPs are people who have lost their homes due to one reason or the other and have to live in camps. With the recent happenings in the country, a lot of people have been displaced from their homes most especially in the Northern part of the country. For us to know how to rehabilitate them, we must first know the causes of this social plight.

First and Foremost, the main cause of the displacement of people from their homes is as a result of banditry. Some terrorists who call themselves Boko Haram terrorize innocent people, kill them, and burn their houses, churches or mosques thereby rendering them homeless. They carry out unexpected and mass shootings and killings of these innocent people who are forced to live in IDP camps. These monsters go as far as attacking the camps also thereby killing hundreds of people. Such a terrible act!

The second cause of the displacement of people from their homes is through social conflicts. A situation whereby two communities fight each other, there is a high tendency of lives being lost and homes being burnt down.

Having lengthily dealt with the causes, I will also talk about possible solutions to it.

Firstly, improved military can go a long way in reducing the number of IDPs in the country. If  the military is well trained and equipped with the necessary equipment they might/will need, they can effectively take out these bandits that terrorize Innocent people and communities and possibly stop the advent of banditry and IDPs in the country.

Again, elimination of corruption in the country can stop a lot of problems we have in the country and IDPs are just one the. Corruption can be in form of directing the funds meant to improve the military to their own accounts and sponsoring terrorists/thugs. It is quite glaring that someone influential has to be sponsoring these terrorists because there is no way they can have enough money, resources and man power to fight an entire country. It sounds quite absurd, implausible and far-fetched

Now that we know the possible causes and the solutions to this plight, let’s see how to rehabilitate them.

First on the list is to give talks to them. They need to be counseled and sensitized so that they do not harm themselves and others. They need to be assured of the government and people’s support to them and their wellbeing.

Secondly, they need to be empowered to avoid them being idle. They can be taught various skills like mat weaving, bag making, carpentry, hair dressing and the list goes on. They can be given start up loans to establish their businesses and be able to take care of themselves and their families.

The internally displaced people are also human like us, hence I find it very bad to neglect them. In my candid view, if all these solutions and ways of rehabilitating them that I talked about in this article are followed duly, I am quite assured of the reduction in the number of IDPs in the country and an overall improvement in the standard of living of the people.

  • Al-Ameen Mumuni, a secondary school pupil wrote from Lagos.
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