On April 16, the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, CON featured as one of the panelists in a high level United Nation event in commemoration of the 27th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internally Displaced Persons.
The invitation extended to the Deputy Speaker by the highly esteemed international organization is in recognition of his commitment to various humanitarian strides especially the Domestication of Kampala Convention. The Convention, adopted by the African Union in 2009, is a regional treaty aimed at protecting and assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa. It is the first legally binding regional instrument on internal displacement. It applies to individuals forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict, human rights violations, natural or human-made disasters, or other situations of generalized violence.
The convention establishes a framework for preventing displacement, providing assistance to those displaced, and finding durable solutions for their return or reintegration. Nigeria signed the Kampala Convention in 2009 but hasn’t yet formally domesticated it into its national laws.
For millions of individuals following Kalu’s daring trajectory in Nigerian politics can attest that his legislative interests traverse national development, women, youth inclusion, empowerment and generally policies that advances the cause of the people.
The Deputy Speaker epitomizes the quote by American religious leader Gordon Bitner Hinckley, which says that “The Happiest People Are Those Who Lose Themselves In The Service of Others.”
Concerned about the IDPs plight and in a bid to ensure that they are not on the run in their own country, Kalu is actively seeking to domesticate the Kampala Convention through a proposed bill, he sponsored.
At the virtual meeting, Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker assured the United Nations that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is taking deliberate and effective steps to address the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.
He emphasized that Tinubu’s administration has proactively activated key components of the treaty to significantly enhance the living conditions of IDPs.
Kalu further informed the UN that the National Assembly of Nigeria is diligently finalizing legislation to provide legal backing to the treaty.
He assured that upon securing presidential assent, the States of the Federation will also adopt the legislation, ensuring a unified approach to addressing IDP issues nationwide.
He said: “I am humbled to make my contributions about legislative activities and perspectives that we have on this particular issue, particularly in regards to concrete steps taken by my country in addressing the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Our country, Nigeria believes so much in these principles. The ones that are on the front burner for us as we activate issues around the IDPs. The principle one, which is protection from arbitrary displacement. Principle number Three, which is the protection during this displacement, Principle number Ten, which is the right to know the fate and where about of relatives and principle Twenty Eighth, which is the right to be returned or resettled. These are the ones on the front burner. We also believe in other ones, these principles form the bedrock, the very foundation of the Kampala Convention.
“Our target is that these principles become alive in our country by making sure that Kampala Convention which Nigeria has ratified will be domesticated in our laws in the country. Our nation after rectifying it, leaving it as it is, is not enough. The next step is to make sure that it is domesticated. To do that, we have taken it upon ourselves. Personally, I proposed the enactment into our laws and sponsored it in the House of Representatives because I believe in the potency of those principles and it can only be active in Nigeria if it is made to be part of our laws, especially as it concerns arbitrary displacement and upholding human rights of these Internally Displaced Persons and working in partnership with organizations like yours to make sure they are well taken care of.
“I proposed a bill, it has been approved by the House of representatives and it has moved to the Senate for Concurrence, the senate report is ready and will be considered when we are back from our recess on April 29. After that the National Assembly clerk will take it to the President for assent.”
Kalu also revealed that the government through the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria (NCFRMI) has improved the lives of the IDPs by resettling about 300 of them, particularly in Keffi, Nasarawa and Kano States with the delivery of over 40 new homes.
“Having said that, the Executive on their part have taken more steps to make sure that the lives of the Internally Displaced Persons are being taking care of through the development of National Policy on IDPs. This is to ensure that activities around the IDPs are governed by the framework. The government also through legislative intervention has provided for a commission for protection and rehabilitation of IDPs known as NCFRMI as a result of a Bill we passed in 2022 to strengthen it.
“The laws must be domesticated and ones the laws are domesticated, the elements that affect their participation will be highlighted, and that’s why we are pushing hard through partnership and collaboration with various MDAs, international organizations to push for this domestication to take place as soon as possible. The government must be commended, even without the domestication of Kampala Convention, steps are being taken through national policy on IDPs and this commission to make sure the lives of people who are affected are taken care of”, the Deputy Speaker said
Kalu further sought for permanent solution to the causes of conflict beyond IDPs, adding that something must be done to avoid a repeat , where those from the IDP camps will be seen returning to it .
He said, “There’s this conversation that has been going on. Beyond this domestication and implementation of the convention , the root causes of conflict in their sociological analysis has to be looked into in terms of prevention ; how do we handle that beyond this IDPs.
I have led a conversation at Inter parliamentary union on setting up a model for post conflict sustainable peace management framework which is currently lacking globally to avoid a circle of repeat . So we should look at the issues that gave birth to these conflicts and displacement and find a way to handle them ahead of time so there will be no repeat. A proposed post conflict peace management frameworks will deliver sustainable peace.”
Prior to this virtual event, in November 2024, Kalu beamed searchlight on the impact of natural disasters such as flooding and erosion, calling for data on the internally displaced persons in Nigeria as well as those in the neighbouring countries rendered homeless by natural disasters.
He made the call while playing host to the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs, Tijani Ahmed, in Abuja.
His words, “We are charging your commission to give us the total report on the plight of Nigerians currently all across the country. So, let the commission have an intervention fund dedicated to doing the proper needs analysis so that as we do the budget, we look into it. This is part of the oversight function. So, get us a report on that. Your mandate includes refugees and the IDPs. You can’t be internally displaced only through war or crisis. You can be internally displaced through climate-induced displacement and that’s what we are experiencing now. The climate is at war with us. So, the issue of mitigation and adaptation is something that, as a government, we must take seriously but in doing that, agencies like yours which manage the consequences of these climate impacts need to be aware that it’s beyond what we are seeing currently.”
There’s no gain saying that the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives understands that love and support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) are crucial for their well-being and recovery.
Through legislative interventions and his humanitarian endeavours, he has demonstrated empathy and compassion towards them, knowing that it can help alleviate these hardships and facilitate their reintegration into society.
Severally, he celebrates his important dates like birthdays with them at the camps. His first event as a legislator was to go share his birthday with the IDP camps in Abuja before resuming his duties as a legislator. He is a man passionate about the pain they go through as IDPs.
~ Orizu is media aide to the Deputy Speaker.
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