Assessing Legal, Institutional and Practical Challenges of the Oromia Regional State Development, Displaced Community Affair Agency: A Case Study
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Date
2020
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AAU
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to assess legal, intuitional and practical challenges of Oromia Regional State Development Displaced Community Affair Agency (the Agency) with selected high magnitude of development displaced communities Agency Brach office (Central and Eastern).The methodology employed in the research was qualitative deploying purposive sampling method based on 55 participants drawn from government agency officials, experts, households members, academicians and politicians. The major data collecting techniques were interview, focus group discussion, observation and informal discussions. The data obtained from the participant was transcribed and analyzed thematically. The finding indicates that the Agency does not possess real power on resettlement, rehabilitation and assistance of development induced displaced persons (DIDP). The power given to the Agency is just a coordinating role whereas real powers on these matters reside in the other agencies. Besides, the institutional structure of the Agency is not well organized. It has only five branch offices. Compared with the nature and scale of the problems of DIDP the Agency lacks accessibility, is weak in human resource and suffers from shortage of finance and logistic. Given the fact that in the Region development is continuing to displace people with its attendant loss of farmland, houses and social ties, the DIDP need formalized and institutionalized assistance from government and non-governmental organization. The newly expropriation and resettlement law is not yet accompanied by directives; on the ground, people displaced due to development projects are not getting substitute nor being properly relocated or being beneficiaries of rehabilitative schemes. Therefore, in order to solve these problems the government should restructure the Agency and mandate it to work on resettlement and livelihood reconstruction backed by strong legal and institutional frameworks
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Keywords
Development Displaced Communities, Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Benefit package