South African Attacks: State Governors To Ensure Proper Integration of Returnees, Says Abike
Oru Leonard
The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said that state governors will be mandated to ensure proper integration of indigenes from their various states. Hon Abike said this on Monday, 16 September, 2019 at Abuja.
Speaking to news correspondents,Hon Dabiri-Erewa stated that the returnees have been profiled according to their states with over 30 children among them.
She emphasized that those who returned are not criminals, but very hard-working Nigerians who have lost everything they have ever worked for in South Africa.
“Their only crime was being black and being Nigerians. We had fathers separated from their children. There is a widow with four children who just had to come back home and there are already offers for scholarship to her children. We expect the state government to take responsibility for their citizens that have returned,” Abike noted.
According to her, 187 Nigerians had earlier returned from South Africa due to the xenophobic attacks .
The CEO revealed the analysis of returnees’ details and number of enrolled returnees based on states thus; Abia 7, Anambra 13, Benue 1, Delta 15, Ebonyi 2, Edo 13, Ekiti 6, Enugu 7, Imo 28, Kogi 1, Kwara 3, Lagos 7, Ogun 30, Ondo 6, Osun 6, and Oyo 23; making it a total of 168 people.
According to her, “The states with the largest returnees are, Ogun state, 30 and Imo 28. When they returned, everybody got a Sim card and airtime that will last for two months and some money for transportation”.
She also announced that the Bank of Industry (BOI) has offered them soft loans, urging the documented returnees to contact the BOI on 07006275386664.
Dabiri-Erewa announced that another set of 319 Nigerians are expected to be evacuated by Air Peace and will land on Tuesday evening.
“319 Nigerians have registered to return, they are still being documented. As the next batch comes in, we will also profile them. State governments will be communicated to and we expect the government to help them”, she said.
She appreciated all Nigerians who made the evacuation possible and appealed to corporate bodies to lend their support, noting that it is the time to show ourselves love and unity as Nigerians.
“The love and unity showed during this period by Nigerians was tremendous and I commend the Nigerian Consulate in South Africa, Air Peace and the Nigerian Media for their special contributions”.
On Compensation issues and other policy decisions, she explained that they are being handled by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
