By Opeyemi Adelakun
A fresh batch of 83 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa has arrived in Lagos as the Federal Government continues efforts to facilitate the safe return and reintegration of citizens stranded abroad.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday evening aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the returnees were accompanied by two officials from the Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg.
According to the ministry, the latest repatriation was made possible through the procurement of flight tickets by private individuals who supported the exercise.
“The Ministry wishes to reiterate the fact that the repatriation exercise of this batch of returnees was facilitated through the procurement of flight tickets by good-spirited private individuals, whose generous support enabled their safe return to Nigeria,” the statement said.
The returnees were received in Lagos by Haruna Ali-Gombe, Director of the Department of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ali-Gombe welcomed the Nigerians on behalf of the Federal Government before handing them over to relevant government agencies for documentation and profiling.
The procedures are expected to precede their reunification with their families.
Ebienfa said the Federal Government remained committed to the welfare and safe return of Nigerians living abroad, while appreciating the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa, the private sponsors and other agencies involved in the repatriation process.
The latest batch brings the number of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa to 1,573, following the earlier return of 1,490 Nigerians in seven batches.
Following the latest exercise, the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa has also opened an online portal for citizens interested in participating in another repatriation exercise.
The Federal Government has consequently appealed to corporate organisations, state governments and individuals to support future exercises, urging them to emulate the private citizens who funded the latest return operation.
Leave a Reply