A former representative of Imo North Senatorial District, Sen. Frank Ibezim, has disowned the viral video, where he allegedly spoke about plans to resettle internally displaced persons and migrants in the state.
Ibezim disclosed this in a statement issued in Owerri and made available to newsmen on Monday.
He stated that the video of some refugees, attached to a TVC News broadcast of an interview he granted the station, was not filmed in Imo.
“I am compelled by our joint sense of purpose and commitment to address some misinformation arising from the TVC News coverage of my recent visit to the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Nsu Study Centre.
“I was accompanied by the Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation,“ he explained.
The former lawmaker dismissed the insinuation of an intention by the Federal Government to resettle IDPs, refugees, or migrant persons at NOUN, Nsu Study Centre as “entirely false”.
He said that the centre is a federal, multi-disciplinary educational institution, open to qualified applicants from across Nigeria and beyond, just like all other federal institutions in the country.
He added that facilities at the centre were already in use, with no fewer than 200 students enrolled since its inception in October 2023, with intake ongoing.
“Our visit was for two federal agencies to assess these facilities to determine if they could be used for training in specialised skills, following our request to utilise the already built incubation center.
“This is the third agency of government, in addition to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and the Biotechnology Agency, to undertake this assessment and adaptability visit for the purpose of evaluating the facilities for training.
“We believe that if the training facilities met their requirements, we would be pleased to have these agencies collaborate with NOUN to train qualifying candidates,” he stated.
He added that although the visiting agency’s name includes “refugees,” it did not encompass their full mandate as they also work to equip communities with necessary skills through integrative programmes.
He added that the agency was not seeking to resettle or relocate any refugees but to use the existing facilities to train eligible individuals from time to time.
“It is crucial for the government to focus on utilising existing government infrastructure completed in the last administration instead of constructing new ones, especially in the face of scarce resources and the hardships faced by our citizens.
“For emphasis, I must restate that there are no plans to settle IDPs, refugees or migrant persons at the National Open University Centre, Nsu, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area.
“Any such claim is categorically false and I will never be part of such a plan.
“The plan is for skills training for our vulnerable young people from the South-East,“ he stated.
He called on all well-meaning citizens to put hands on deck in the efforts to synergise with the government to facilitate human development, progress and opportunities for the teeming youth population and less privileged. (NAN)
