Krisan(W/R), June 20, GNA - Mr Joshua Kwajah-Ellimah, Nzema East District Chief Executive, on Monday advised refugees in the country to be law-abiding to enable the Government, district assemblies and Non-Governmental Organisations assist them to improve on their standard of living.
He gave the advice at the celebration of this year's World Refugee Day under the theme "Hope" at Krisan in the Nzema East District. Mr Kwajah-Ellimah said refugees "Should respect the laws of our country and endeavour to conduct all their activities within acceptable rules and regulations."
He said the assembly was prepared to assist to improve conditions at the Krisan Refugee Camp when refugees used dialogue and consultation with the local authorities to redress issues affecting them. Mr Kwajah-Ellimah said, "They should be law-abiding and resort to the use of approved and appropriate methods to seek redress for any anomalies while in the settlement."
He warned that the Nzema East District Security Committee (DISEC) would not shirk its responsibility to ensure continued security and peace within the district.
Mr Kwajah-Ellimah said, "DISEC would, therefore, not hesitate to deal swiftly with any person or group of persons who would conduct himself or themselves with the overt or covert intention of unnecessarily compromising or disturbing the safety and peace of other beneficiaries of facilities at the camp and its environs."
Mr Kwajah-Ellimah said the assembly would not countenanced a situation where its meagre resources would be used to maintain a large police and military presence at the camp because of breach of peace and security by a few bad nuts and irresponsible refugees.
He asked the refugees to co-operate with DISEC to ensure that they went about their normal activities in peace and inform the committee of any clandestine activities by some inmates of the camp.
Mr Kwajah-Ellimah urged the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and other local and international corporate bodies to design and promote programmes, which would actively involve and re-direct the energies and potentials of residents at the camp.
He said these organisations should help residents at the camp to obtain gainful employment to help reduce the boredom and associated psychological and emotional stresses and trauma they had experienced since becoming refugees.
Mr Kwajah-Ellimah said children at the camp should be encouraged to enrol in educational institutions to have better and bright future.
Ms Aida Haile Mariam, Country Representative of UNHCR, read the address of Mr Antonio Guterrese, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the celebration.
Mr Guterrese said over the past 55 years, UNHCR and its partners had assisted more than 50 million uprooted people to re-start their lives and "We continue that noble work right now in more than 100 countries."
He said there remained over 30 so-called protracted refugee situations involving a total of more than five million refugees who had been in exile for five years or longer.
"Keeping their hope alive is the responsibility of everyone including international leaders who should be doing more to resolve these situations and to address the root causes of conflict and displacement."
"All of use can do our part to give hope to the uprooted, from a simple welcoming smile to refugees in own communities to the participation of individuals, businesses and governments in supporting the field activities of the many humanitarian agencies caring for the displaced," He added.
Mr Abdulai Bawumia, Secretary to the National Refugee Board, said Organisation of African Unity (OAU) adopted a convention in 1969 to control refugee situation on the continent.
He said the reasons that made OAU to adopt the convention still persisted.
Mr Bawumia said the continent had refugee problems because of ethnic and political intolerance, abuse of human rights, armed conflicts, disrespect for democratic governance and external interference in the internal affairs of the continent.
He therefore, called on Africans to see themselves as brothers and sisters and avoid conflicts.
