Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has approved the immediate disbursement of N1 million each to 31 verified Abia indigenes who recently returned from South Africa, as interim support to help them rebuild their lives.
The approval followed a high-level meeting of the South East Strategic Dialogue with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the Local Organising Committee and the Abia State Government.
A statement issued on Saturday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, said the approval was made following an appeal by Ambassador Catherine Udida for government assistance to the returnees.
According to the statement, the financial support is intended to provide immediate relief and reassure the returnees that the state government has not abandoned them.
“The government is also undertaking comprehensive profiling of the 31 returnees to determine their individual circumstances and socio-economic needs,” the statement said.
The exercise, it said, would guide the development of appropriate interventions for their sustainable reintegration and social protection, based on the specific needs of each returnee.
The gesture, according to the statement, reflects Governor Otti’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable residents and his administration’s determination to ensure that Abians facing difficult circumstances are supported to recover and rebuild.
The state government reiterated that “Abia remains home to all its sons and daughters,” regardless of where they may have lived or the circumstances surrounding their return.
