Cross River SEMA to employ 300 Cameroonian refugees, says official

The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) says it will create jobs for 300 Cameroonian refugees in Adagom, Ogoja Local Gov Area of the state.

The Acting Director General of SEMA, Mr Princewill Ayim, disclosed this on Monday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Calabar.

Ayim who said the jobs would be created in collaboration with a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Peculiar Foundationaid added that members of the host community would also benefit.

He explained that the employment would help in reintegrating the refugees and boosting the economy of the host communities for a peaceful co-existence.

According to him, Cross River was hosting over 27,000 Cameroonian refugees, a number he said constituted 75 per cent of the entire refugees in Nigeria.

The acting DG said that the refugees would be employed to work in the agricultural sector and livelihood ventures of the foundation with a view to enhancing their well-being.

He said that the objective of the partnership was to help in reducing the economin burden faced by the state government in providing basic amenities for them.

“We are going to work with the host communities; we are going to invest with a view to providing economic activities so that the state will not be burdened by the economic challenges faced by the refugees.

“The donors are not only providing employment to 300 refugees and host community members, but will also give business start ups to the women,’’ he said.

He told NAN that the recruitment which would involve written examination would be done next week.

“The exams will be conducted for those that are interested and as we continue, we will be having more donors to support us in catering for the refugees.

“By the time they come next week and we finalise the plan, we will come public. The process will be open and the media will be carried along,’’ he said.

Ayim commended Gov. Ben Ayade for placing premium on the welfare and security of refugees in the state.

He called on other donor agencies to partner with SEMA in assisting the refugees to alleviate their plights.