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Ondo Gives 45 South Africa Returnees N45m To Rebuild Their Lives
After fleeing what they described as harrowing experiences in South Africa, 45 indigenes of Ondo State on Thursday received a fresh lifeline from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who presented N1 million to each of them to enable them rebuild their lives at home.
The returnees, who were received at an official welcoming and empowerment programme in Akure, were assured that the state government would support their reintegration and help them turn their experiences and skills acquired abroad into opportunities for economic survival.
Aiyedatiwa said the circumstances that forced the returnees out of South Africa should not define their future, urging them to deploy the skills, knowledge and international exposure they acquired to create wealth and contribute to the development of their communities.
“Look around, look for opportunities, see the needs and meet the needs. That’s how to make money. There are needs everywhere when you look,” the governor told the returnees, challenging them to identify problems in their communities and turn them into legitimate business opportunities.
The governor said the N1 million given to each of the 45 returnees was a token of his administration’s commitment to helping them settle down and start afresh, while their profiles and biodata would be collected to facilitate further interventions through the Ministry of Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations.
He said the government’s responsibility went beyond merely bringing citizens home, stressing that meaningful reintegration must include economic empowerment, skills development, counselling, entrepreneurship opportunities and an enabling environment for the returnees to rebuild their lives.
Aiyedatiwa also urged the returnees to reconnect with their local governments, families and communities, assuring them that their return would not make them strangers in their own homeland.
“As long as you are Nigerian, you can live in any part of the country. In South Africa, they don’t want to see you. But there is nowhere we want to send you to. Nigeria has to receive you back as citizens of this country,” he said.
“And since you have traced your roots back to Ondo State, we also receive you as our own,” the governor added, in a message that underscored the state’s commitment to providing a home for its citizens forced to return from abroad.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, Wale Akinlosotu, said the reception was a demonstration that Ondo State remained home to its people irrespective of how far they had travelled, assuring the returnees that the government would not abandon them in their moment of difficulty.
Akinlosotu described the homecoming as “more than a ceremony”, commending Aiyedatiwa for what he called his “magnanimous intervention and compassionate leadership” after the governor was informed of the returnees’ plight.
He said the intervention reflected the governor’s “human-centred leadership” and concern for the welfare and dignity of Ondo indigenes, urging the returnees to regard the empowerment package as a foundation for rebuilding their lives rather than merely financial assistance.
Speaking on behalf of the returnees, Ajibade James Ogunleye thanked the state government for receiving them with dignity and compassion, recounting the difficulties they allegedly endured in South Africa, including violent attacks, challenges with permits and healthcare, as well as the loss of businesses and properties.
Ogunleye said the evacuation eventually provided an escape route for many of them, noting that some had to abandon businesses and properties they had painstakingly built in South Africa to secure their lives and return home. He expressed appreciation to the Federal and Ondo State governments for facilitating their return, providing accommodation and offering support for their reintegration.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Olumide Aserere, appreciated the stakeholders involved in the successful evacuation and reintegration exercise, particularly Governor Aiyedatiwa, whose support, he said, demonstrated the administration’s commitment to the well-being of its citizens.
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