From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, (UNHCR), in collaboration with a faith based organization, Foundation for Justice, Development and Peace, (FJDP), has trained over 200 Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs), in Benue state.
The IDPs selwcted from five Local Government Areas, were trained in 18 different skills including soap making, tailoring, hairdressing, cake making, welding and fabrication, poultry farming, graphic designing, computer programming and carpentry among others.
The trainees were also certified with Trade Test Certificate of Competence from the Ministry of Labour and Productivity.
Presenting the certificates to the beneficiaries at the TIVET Exhibition in Makurdi, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr Awa Peter, who assured the beneficiary that the certificate would give them global recognition said they must do well in their endeavours to show that their training was not in vain.
Coordinator, UNHCR Makurdi Area Unit, Beatrice Shomkegh, who congratulated the beneficiaries, said the organization embark on certification of trained IDPs this year to make them self – reliant and employable, stating that before now they had engage in livelihood without certification.
Coordinator, FJDP, Rev Father Remigus Ihyula, while appreciating the UNHCR, donor agencies and other spirited individuals and groups for helping the displaced persons in the state, expressed hope that the beneficiaries would utilize the skills to become self reliant and sustain their families.
Ihyula, who expressed worries over continuous attacks on Benue communities by armed herders leading to more displacements, called on the federal government to address insecurity to put an end to the killings and displacements.
Programme Coordinator for FJDP, Deborah Tom, said 215 IDPs benefited including 15 members from host communities, 92 from Guma LGA, 71 from Logo LGA, 19 from Agatu LGA, 15 from Buruku LGA, and 18 from Kwande LGA of Benue.
She said the training is yearly exercise, based on the work plan and description, and expressed confidence that at the end of three month training, the beneficiaries should be able to secure employment in areas of craftsmanship in some government establishment and would be able cater for themselves and not on people to eat.
Also speaking National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs ( NCFRMI), Baffa Muhammad, promised that the commission would capture trainings in next year budget to enable it carry out such engagement for other IDPs, and appealed to the beneficiaries to train their female daughters to become useful themselves and the society
Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), Dr Emmanuel Shior, who was represented by James Iorhuna, camp manager in Ayin, thanked UNHCR, FJDP, for training and impacting persons of concern, urging the trainees to make wonderful use of the training to change their lives and train others to help fight unemployment and poverty.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to our correspondent, thanked the organizations for assisting them, saying they skills will help them earn a living.
