Refugee Crisis Hits Akwa Ibom-AKSG Abandons Victims, Scramble For Relief Materials

Refugee crisis has reportedly hit Akwa Ibom State. The refugees, who are victims of political crisis in Cameroon had alongside Nigerians living there, fled the country to take refuge in parts of the State.

The condition of the victims, The Sensor learnt, is made worse following State Government’s neglect and abandonment despite several appeals for intervention.

It was further gathered that government officials are much more interested in relief materials that is to be sent to the victims by the United Nations and other international non-governmental organizations.

A visit to three camps in Iquita community, Oron, Iko Eket, Eket and Ekpuk village in Mkpat Enin revealed tales of woes and suffering faced by the victims.

At Oron refugee camp where over 300 victims are currently being camped by a church, Christ Believer Mission, many of them including children sleep in an open space and are exposed to cold and mosquitos. They do not have any means of livelihood and depend on aids from kind-hearted individuals and non-governmental organizations. The situation is not different at Iko Eket, Eket LGA and Ekpuk village, Mkpat Enin LGA.

The Sensor gathered that solace came the way of the victims last Friday when an NGO, Enterprise Club of Nigeria (an Entrepreneurship Development on Refugees Migrant and Internally Displaced Persons Intervention Project). The organization through Better Care Neigbours Humanitarian Intervention presented bags of rice, cartons of indomie noodles, tomatoes, bournvita and other relief materials to the victims.

Presenting the items, the leader of the organization, Prince Aston Inyang said that the gesture was to ameliorate the suffering of the victims. Prince Inyang who is also the National Cordinator of Bakassi Returnees and IDPS in Nigeria, regretted that despite several attempts to draw the attention of the Akwa Ibom State Government to the plight of the victims, there has not been any response.

He said, “when the victims moved into the State in late September, the attention of Akwa Ibom State Government was drawn. I even had one on one interaction with the State Deputy Governor, yet nothing has been done. Today, the victims are facing severe hunger, lack of accommodation and general insecurity as they have been exposed to all forms of danger. Infact, there is fear of food crisis.”

Prince Inyang however, expressed appreciation to Christ Believers Mission, Oron, Ekpuk village council in Mkpat Enin and Iko Eket people for accommodating the victims. 

Also speaking shortly after the presentation of the items at Iko Eket camp, an immigration officer who did not want her name mentioned, said that the relief material would go along way to reduce the hunger that has starved the victims.

She disclosed that the immigration department in the State is under pressure as a result of the state of the victims. She appealed to the State, Federal, Local government and private individuals to come to the aid of the victims.

Responding, one of the victims Mrs. Eliano Boska Atatu, thanked the Federal, State and Local Government for accepting them into the country. She, however, appealed to them to come to their aid by providing relief materials like food and accommodation for them.

Another victim, Monday Harrison, thanked the NGO for coming to their aid. He equally appealed to State and Federal Government to salvage their situation to prevent outbreak of epidemic at the camp. 

Source: The Sensor Newspaper