Gov. Ben Ayade
From Dianabasi Effiong
Gov. Ben Ayade, of Cross River has charged the United Nations to ensure that the crisis in Southern Cameroon which forced thousands of residents to flee into Nigeria especially Cross River did not escalate into humanitarian crisis.
Ayade stated this when he received the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Sadiya Umar Farouq and the Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS High Commission for Refugees, Antonio Canhandula, during a courtesy call on him in Calabar.
“You cannot watch the dislocation of family structures, kids being separated from their parents, husbands separated from their wives and all you do is to rush with food to their corridors and create squatters and camp for them and you think that is United Nations? You have failed.
“ What is united about that? There is nothing united, if we are indeed a United Nations, the issue on Cameroon should be at the forefront of UN today.”
Ayade also alleged that he is yet to see any serious issue made out of the crisis by international media like the CNN or BBC.
The Governor said: “Any form of relocation of a people, no matter how temporary is a failure of the world to address the issues that border on humanity.
” And I think UN must take this message very clearly that it has gotten too involved in the politics of redistribution of wealth and has forgotten its essence which was peace, unity and love.”
He also frowned at the alleged closure of the Cameroon International borders against the Anglophones Cameroonians.
“Today, the Cameroun international borders are all sealed against the Anglophone Cameroonians and UN is watching and coming with food that is not food. That is poison because indeed you know their real trouble and the silence in you that you have done nothing today, just note that it will hunt you one day.”
The Governor who explained the supportive roles played by Cameroon at the height of Biafra, IPOB and Boko Haram Crisis, enjoined President Buhari as the leader of Africa not to get involved in the politics of the Cameroon issues but interfere in the lives of every single Black man on earth.
Recounting the associated challenges of the crisis prone area, Ayade said: “The young people’s lives have been cut short, young kids don’t go to school, the entire Southern part of Cameroon, the English speaking, completely shut down, hospitals not working and people’s lives are in danger.”
The Governor, who disclosed that with about 2430 refugees already in Cross River an indication of a near cataclysm, said that Cross River Government would partner with the Federal Government to bring succour in order to return the victims to their homes within the shortest possible time.
“We will join hands with UN to find a political solution and a lasting peaceful option for the people of Cameroon to live in peace and have prosperity and realise their full potentials as human beings,” he said.
Earlier, Farouq told the governor that the team was in the state to applaud him for hosting the refugees who sneaked into the State through Ikom and Amaga in Obudu.
He said he was also in the state to meet with the victims who were being attended to through the distribution of relief materials.
In his remark The Country Representative Canhandula said: “the solutions to the crisis could not be offered by one person”.
“Hence we are here to offer our partnership towards resolving these problems. We also have other UN agencies that have been accredited in your state; we will synergies with them to boost humanity care.”
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