Yobe govt ready to domesticate Kampala convention if FG conclude legislative process
Yobe govt ready to domesticate Kampala convention if FG conclude legislative process.
By Yusuf Bukar Biriri
The Yobe State Commissioner of Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Hon. Abdullahi Bego , has said that the state government, under the able leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni, CON, COMN, is ready to domesticate the Kampala Convention if the federal legislative process is concluded, as part of efforts to strengthen the protection and welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
In a statement issued and Signed by the director information service of the ministry Ali Musa Yawale said the commissioner gave the assurance while receiving a delegation led by the Director of Rescue of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Mohammed Jalo, during a courtesy visit to his office in Damaturu.
The visit formed part of an advocacy initiative by SEMA in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Access to Justice Programme and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), under the EU-SIDPIN Project, aimed at advancing the domestication of the Kampala Convention in Yobe State.
Hon. Bego said the state government recognises the importance of the Convention in providing a legal and institutional framework for the protection, assistance and pursuit of durable solutions for IDPs, adding that Yobe would take the necessary steps once the Convention is fully domesticated at the national level.
He further explained that the administration of His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni, CON, COMN has already demonstrated strong commitment to addressing displacement by domesticating the National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons and developing an Action Plan on Durable Solutions.
The Commissioner said such milestones have positioned Yobe State among leading sub-national governments proactively responding to displacement, recovery and reintegration challenges, while aligning state interventions with national and international best practices.
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Earlier, Dr. Mohammed Jalo recalled that Nigeria, alongside other African countries, signed the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in 2009 to safeguard the rights and dignity of displaced persons.
Dr. Jalo disclosed that the Nigerian Bar Association, in collaboration with UNHCR, UN-Habitat, and the International Organization for Migration, plans to conduct advocacy visits to key government officials and organise a one-day sensitisation and training session on the Convention.
Also speaking, the lead consultant of the team, Barr. Lukman of Yobe State University, explained that Nigeria operates a dualist legal system, which requires international conventions to be domesticated by the National Assembly before states can enact corresponding laws.
He revealed that the domestication bill requires advocacy and the ministry of Information is key for success.
