BENIN CITY — Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has approved a N41 million support package for 41 Edo indigenes evacuated from South Africa following xenophobic attacks, pledging N1 million to each returnee to help them secure accommodation and rebuild their lives.
The governor announced the intervention on Monday while receiving the returnees at the Festival Hall of the Government House in Benin City.
According to him, the financial support will be disbursed within 24 hours to ensure the returnees are not left stranded after their arrival in the state.
“Between now and tomorrow, you will receive that money so you will not be stranded. There is no place better than home. Nobody will chase you away from here. We have peace here. Edo is safe, and Nigeria is safe,” Okpebholo said.
The governor also disclosed that the state government would provide soft loans to interested returnees to enable them to establish businesses and reintegrate into society.
“Your success begins today. Many of you possess knowledge and skills in different areas. Once you identify what you want to do, come to us. We will give you a soft loan to start with because we want you to fully reintegrate into society,” he added.
Okpebholo encouraged the returnees to focus on rebuilding their lives, stressing that surviving the attacks was more important than the property they lost.
“They may have taken everything away from you, but your life is more important than the things they took. As a government, we will continue to support our people wherever they are. If they are in distress, we will rescue them and ensure they do not go through such experiences again,” he said.
The governor also reflected on the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, noting that despite the recent attacks, Nigerians would not retaliate, recalling the support Nigeria gave during South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.
Speaking on behalf of the returnees, Riches Unubun expressed appreciation to the Edo State Government and the Federal Government for facilitating their evacuation from South Africa.
He also urged fellow returnees to support the state government, saying they should register for their Permanent Voter Cards to sustain what he described as the progress being made in Edo State.
“When we leave here, we have the civic responsibility to appreciate what the Edo State Government has done for us. Let them take us to where we can register and collect our voter cards because we want these great things happening in Edo to continue,” Unubun said.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Edo State Migration Agency, Lucky Agazuma, commended Governor Okpebholo for extending support to Edo indigenes facing hardship in other African countries.
The governor’s remarks were contained in a statement issued on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele.
