• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Xenophobia: FG to support returnee Nigerians with loans

allen-onyema-Abike Dabiri-Erewa
Following the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, the Federal Government has announced that it will support Nigerians returning from the former Apartheid enclave with soft loans from the Bank of Industry to enable those interested in small scale businesses to start.
Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said this while receiving the returnees from South Africa on Wednesday  in Lagos, a statement issued on Thursday by Gabriel Odu of the media unit of NIDCOM, said.
The NIDCOM boss told the returnees that apart from the transport stipends to convey them to their various destinations, for ease of communication they are to receive a SIM card with N40,000 worth of air time plus 9GB of data valid for for two months. She added that a programme of reintegration will be put in place soon. Officials from the Bank of Industry were also ate the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos to receive the returnees.
Dabiri-Erewa, said that the first batch of  187 Nigerians landed at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. She led officials to receive the returnees, who  arrived at about 9.35 pm on Wednesday, September 11, on-board an Air Peace flight, even as she commended the Management of Air Peace for the kind gesture.
 She said that 30 children were among those  evacuated. Meanwhile, about 317 were initially billed to return on the flight which experienced over 15 hours delay by the South African authorities, the statement added.
This development follows a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari to evacuate Nigerians in South Africa willing to return home due to renewed xenophobic uprisings.
The president gave the order after receiving the report of the special envoy whom he dispatched to South Africa over xenophobic attacks.
The Nigerian Returnees expressed joy and excitement at the reception they received on their return home, such that they  all got up to render the National Anthem thanking President Buhari, the Chairman  of AirPeace as well as the Consul General in South Africa and the High Commission in Pretoria for their efforts in ensuring a successful return home to Nigeria.
Dabiri-Erewa therefore urged other Nigerians in South South to remain peaceful and good Ambassadors as Federal Government is making firmer strategies for their safety and security in that country.
Meanwhile,  arrangements for airlift of Second Batch of Nigerians from South Africa are underway, the statement said.