Federal Government is Fair to All

President Olusegun Obasanjo has reiterated that his administration has been fair to all parts of Nigeria in appointments into Federal positions. He made the declaration, recently in his office, in Abuja when he received in audience, a delegation of Remo people of Ogun State, led by the paramount ruler Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo, Akarigbo of Remo.

He said the beauty of democracy is that it allows for exchange of ideas and acknowledged that the Remo people have a right to ask for more. He also assured them that the telephone exchange in Remo will be digitalized.

Meanwhile, the President has inaugurated the new Board of the National Commission for Refugees. The Chairman of the new Board is Chief Segun Olusola one of the initiators of the Policy on African Refugees adopted by the Council of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1988.

Referring to a number of communal conflicts in Nigeria, President Obasanjo expressed the concern of his administration on these conflicts and urged the new board to work in concert with the Institute for Peace, Research and Conflict Resolution to ensure that internal differences are resolved peacefully through dialogue and compromise.

He said though the Commission should initiate policies to reduce the sufferings of refugees and asylum seekers, it should team up with relevant government agencies to design programmes that will identify trouble spots, present and implement acceptable plans to forestall civil unrest.

The National Commission for Refugees was established in 1989 to effectively and efficiently manage the refugee problem in Nigeria, through the execution of requisite programmes and policies.

Bolaji Adebiyi
Nigeria Information Service Centre
June 20, 2002