The 1,490 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa following xenophobic attacks have expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for fully funding their evacuation and rehabilitation back home.
The returnees also commended several federal agencies, state governments, corporate organisations, religious bodies and philanthropists for their support during the evacuation and reintegration process.
Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State provided ₦1 million to each returnee from the state, while Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State received Edo returnees at the Government House and also pledged ₦1 million to each beneficiary in the first phase of support.
She added that Delta, Anambra, Abia, Enugu and Lagos states had already contacted their citizens among the returnees, while appealing to the governments of Bayelsa, Rivers, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states to extend similar assistance to their returning residents.
Dabiri-Erewa also acknowledged the contributions of individuals and organisations that provided relief to the returnees. She praised Apostle Dr. Chibuzor Gift Chinyere of Omega Power Ministries for offering free accommodation to 57 returnee families at the church’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, alongside skills acquisition programmes and free education for their children up to university level.
She further commended MTN Nigeria for distributing free SIM packs with data valued at ₦50,000 and an additional ₦100,000 cash to each returnee. The JAAL Foundation was also recognised for empowering 50 female returnees.
Other contributors included Pastor Bolaji Idowu of Harvesters Church, who donated ₦100,000 to each of 66 returnees, Cruxstone Real Estate for providing cash support to the first batch of evacuees, and the Oyakhilome Foundation, which distributed food baskets worth ₦30,000 each to members of the final batch.
The NiDCOM boss equally appreciated the efforts of government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, and the Nigerian Immigration Service for ensuring a smooth return process.
She also commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Temitope Alexander-Ajayi, for their roles in coordinating the evacuation exercise.
Dabiri-Erewa renewed her appeal to state governments, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support the returnees as they rebuild their lives.
The evacuation exercise commenced on June 11 and concluded on July 15, with the final batch of 305 Nigerians arrived aboard an Air Peace flight, brought the total number of evacuees to 1,490.
