Edo State Government has solicited for a stronger partnership with the Federal Government on programmes aimed at reintegrating the increasing number of indigines of the state returnees from Libya.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Anti-Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration, Mr Okoduwa Solomon, made the call while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Benin.
He said the appeal had become necessary because the state government had been overwhelmed by the number of returnees from the state.
He, however, assured of government’s readiness in ensuring the Libya returnees and other victims of human trafficking of the state’s origin were rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society.
He noted that the state government had already commenced process of reintegrating some of the returnees back into the society with the recent conclusion of training programme for 150 of them.
“I am happy to tell you that after the conclusion of the training programme, the governor had approved N100 million seed grant for them.
“Aside the grant, the governor also approved 150 hectares of farmlands for the returnees, who were trained on various aspect of agriculture such as poultry, fishery, crops and food processing.
“It may also interest you to know that some other returnees about 600, have starting receiving monthly stipends of N20, 000 each from the government,” he said.
Okoduwa further said that plan was being perfected to commence another round of training programmes for other returnees.
He said they would be trained on agricultural skills, welding and fabrication, catering, events management and paint making, among others.
According to him, “It’s an ongoing process, that will be benefited by all those, who avail themselves of the programme.
“The dedication of policies and programmes of empowerment, employment and reintegration of returnees is an attempt to mitigate the root cause of illegal migration.”
He, however, commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Oyeama Geodfrey and SSA on Diaspora Matters to the President, Mrs Abike Dabiri, for their efforts at ensuring the evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Libya.
He also commended the European Union and International Organisation on Migration (IOM) for their cooperation and support in handling the crisis.
Okoduwa urged the National Agency for the Prohibition on Trafficking in Persons (NAPTlP) to tow the same line.
While noting that over 70 per cent of the returnees are from the South-South of the country with Edo taking the lead, he said
the Edo government was committed to ensuring the arrest and prosecution of human traffickers in the state.
Our correspondent reports that no fewer than 2,600 indigenes of Edo have been evacuated from Libya since October 2017 when the exercise began.