Nigeria Should be Refuge for All – Obi

By Jude Atupulazi

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 elections, Mr Peter Obi, has stated that Nigeria should be a safe refuge for all its inhabitants, saying that no one should live or be treated as a refugee in their fatherland.

Obi made this known in a statement to mark the World Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Day, 2021, themed, ‘’Together we heal, learn and shine.’’ He explained that the increasing insecurity and poverty rate in Nigeria was constantly turning many people into refugees due to their inability to provide their basic needs of life.

Obi also revealed that insecurity and violence in different troubled spots of the nation had churned out more refugees in Nigeria, with many of them struggling for survival in different internally displaced persons’ centres in the country.

The Ex-VP candidate lamented that that the vast mineral and natural resources with which Nigeria was blessed, had not translated into the wellbeing of the people, reason many Nigerians lived like refugees in their own country.

‘Nigeria is among the 10 countries in the world with the highest number of internally displaced persons. About 2.1 million people are internally displaced in Nigeria, irrespective of the vast mineral and natural resources the country is blessed with. Many of these are victims of leadership failure that breed poverty, terrorism, banditry and insecurity in the country,’ Obi explained.

Obi said the government and society must feel the plight of refugees and help them, not only to survive, but to thrive and fulfill their dreams in life.

He said, ‘Refugees, like us, have dreams and aspirations. Government must advance the cause of their welfare and create enabling environment for them to thrive. Individuals and organizations must lend a helping hand to them and help them live fulfilled lives.