Efforts of the Edo State Government at caring for its indigenes evacuated from Libya through several returnees’ welfare initiatives have received the commendation of the federal government.
Conveying the federal government’s appreciation to the Edo State Government in Port Harcourt, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama and the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Muhammed Babandede, noted that “the state government was doing well.”
They said that officials of the Edo State Task-force Against Human Trafficking, led by the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, are always on hand to receive the over 2,000 Libya returnees from the federal government officials at the different ports of entry, since the commencement of the evacuation programme.
Mr. Onyeama who led the returnees from Libya, said: “You have taken the right steps. There is still more work to be done but I commend the steps the Edo State government has been taking in caring for its indigenes.”
He noted that the response of the Edo State government to invitations from the federal government is always prompt and urged other states to borrow a leaf from Edo State.
Controller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service also commended the state government, noting that the “Edo State government is doing very well in attending to the returnees.”
Edo State has a comprehensive plan covering travelling expense for the returnees from Lagos or Port Harcourt to Benin City, temporary housing, screening, provision of stipends, training, land for agribusiness and a take-off capital.
Officials of the Edo State task-force Against Human Trafficking are stationed at the airport to receive the returnees and transport them to a hotel facility in Benin City where their data are collected and stored in a databank. The processed returnees get stipends, training and other components of the package.
