Xenophobia: Mbah welcomes 112 Enugu returnees from S/Africa, gives N77m support

By Mohammed Wakil

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has welcomed 112 indigenes of the state who returned from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks, assuring them of the state government’s support in rebuilding their lives.

The returnees, comprising 77 families, were received on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, where the governor announced a N1 million seed fund for each of the 77 families, amounting to N77 million.

Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the government was still working with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to profile another 42 families who had returned from South Africa.

He condemned the renewed attacks and hostility directed at black African migrants in parts of South Africa, noting that the development had forced many Nigerians to reconsider their safety and return home.

According to him, the return of the affected Nigerians should go beyond receiving them back to the state, stressing that the government must help them rebuild their lives.

“The renewed attacks and hostility directed at black African migrants in parts of South Africa is condemnable and have forced many Nigerians to reconsider their safety and return home.

“Some may have left behind businesses, possessions, investments, friendships and years of work. And so, while there is happiness in seeing you alive and safely back on Enugu soil, we also understand that coming home under circumstances you did not choose can carry its own pain.

“The question before us is not simply, ‘How do we receive our people back?’ The bigger question is: ‘How do we help them begin again?’ That is why today’s reception must go beyond photographs and handshakes. It must mark the beginning of reintegration. It must mark the beginning of rebuilding,” he said.

Mbah said the N1 million assistance to each family was deliberately designed as a seed fund to help the returnees begin rebuilding their livelihoods.

“Importantly, government must do more than make speeches. It must put something tangible in your hands. That is why we have approved a ₦1 million seed fund for each returning family represented here today. Let me stress the word seed. A seed is not the harvest. It is the beginning of the harvest.

“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 important thing is that we want this intervention to move you from returning home to rebuilding at home. And the Government of Enugu State will continue to explore ways of connecting you with relevant opportunities, programmes and institutions that can support that journey,” Mbah stated.

The governor urged the returnees to deploy the skills, experience and networks they acquired in South Africa to take advantage of opportunities in Enugu.

“I want to make one more appeal to you: Do not discard what you learnt abroad. Bring it home. Bring the discipline. Bring the ideas. Bring the networks. Bring the entrepreneurial experiences. Bring the knowledge of markets and technologies. Bring the things that worked. And even bring the lessons from the things that did not work.

“This experience must mark the beginning of a new conversation about the opportunities that exist here in Enugu, because the Enugu of today is changing. Our administration is deliberately working to create an environment where people can live, work, invest, build businesses and raise families with greater confidence.

“We are expanding infrastructure. We are improving connectivity. We are strengthening healthcare. We are investing in education and human capital. We are opening new possibilities in agriculture, tourism, technology, enterprise and industry,” he concluded.

Responding on behalf of the returnees, Chidimma Ogbonna thanked the governor for welcoming them and providing financial support to help them settle back home.

“Your kindness gave hope and this opportunity. Thank you for welcoming us home and for believing in us,” she stated.

Another returnee, Cosmas Okwor, also thanked Mbah for making them feel accepted, saying, “We are hopeful again.”

The returnees expressed optimism about resettling in the state, citing improvements in infrastructure and security as factors that could aid their reintegration.

The Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, urged the returnees to put their experiences behind them and focus on rebuilding their lives.

“Put yourself in a position to win. New opportunities beckon,” he stressed.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora, Barr. Olangwa Ezekwu, commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, led by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for their efforts in facilitating the safe return of Nigerians affected by the situation.

Ezekwu also thanked Governor Mbah for his intervention and commitment to supporting Enugu indigenes in the diaspora and those returning home.