Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has applauded state governments for reaching out to their indigenes who were evacuated from South Africa recently.
Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Executive Chairman/CEO, who applauded the state governments, called on other well-meaning Nigerians to do same.
Mr Gabriel Odu, Media Assistant, NIDCOM, made this known in a statement in Abuja.
According to Odu, Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this while briefing the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs in Abuja on Thursday.
He said that the Chairman of NIDCOM, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa stated that the Second Batch of 314 Voluntary Nigerian Returnees from South Africa arrived Lagos safely on board Air Peace airlines on Wednesday, Sept.18.
He added that out of the 319 earlier expected to return, five had consular issues , and could not be airlifted which made the total returnees 314.
The NIDCOM Chairman said that the Commission had profiled all the returnees and written to various State governments affected to help re-integrate and empower them effectively as a matter of urgency.
She further called on Nigerians to support the returnees, in any way they can , adding that the Lagos State Governor , Babajide Sanwo olu , gave N20,000 each to the second batch of returnees .
While thanking States who had reached out to their indigenes, the Chairman appealed to all those who have not to do so .
She told the Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe that the Returnees are in good health and grateful to President Buhari for his prompt directive that Nigerians willing to return voluntarily should be brought back.
“The Commission will work assiduously with Nigerian Communities and groups to create awareness and enlightenment programmes that will foster cultural exchanges, ” she said.
Dabiri-Erewa expressed deep gratitude to the Chairman of Air Peace Airlines , Chief Allen Onyema,for a show of patriotism and brotherhood and Nigerian Consul General, Mr Godwin Adama for effective coordination of the returnees .
She thanked Service providers, MTN and Airtel for giving the returnees telephones and massive airtime , Bank of Industry for providing soft loans and NEMA for its services and financial support.
She also expressed gratitude to Louismed for providing medical checkup and the Diaspora innovation institute for providing counseling and offer of entrepreneurship training , in partnership with the Centre for Management development.
Recall that 187 Nigerians were evacuated from South Africa in the first batch of returnees amongst whom over 30 were children on Sept. 11. (NAN).
