Enugu State Governor Barr Peter Mbah welcomed 77 families, comprising 112 indigenes who had returned from South Africa after a wave of xenophobic attacks on black African migrants. The ceremony took place on Thursday at the International Conference Centre in Enugu.
Represented by Secretary to the State Government Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the governor said the state would support the returnees as they reintegrate and rebuild their lives. He acknowledged that many of the families had lost businesses, properties, investments and years of work as a result of their forced departure.
In a statement, Mbah announced a N1 million support fund for each of the 77 families. He clarified that the money was not compensation for lost assets but a seed fund to help the returnees restart their lives in the state.
“This support is, therefore, not being presented as compensation for everything you may have lost. It is not intended to replace the businesses, properties or investments that some of you may have left behind. Rather, it is a modest but deliberate expression of solidarity from your state,” the governor said.
The administration is working with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to profile about 42 additional families expected to return from South Africa. Mbah urged the returnees to deploy the skills, knowledge, entrepreneurial experience and networks they acquired abroad to explore opportunities in Enugu.
Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, encouraged the returnees to rebuild their lives and seize new opportunities in the state. “Put yourself in a position to win. New opportunities beckon,” he said.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
