Libya: Why many states are not making efforts to reunite returnees with their families
The Federal government has repatriated about 7,000 Nigerians from Libya since the repatriation exercise which was spearheaded by the International Organization for Migration- assisted by the European Union (EU)- commenced.
The government is saddled with the responsibility of conveying the returnees to the shore of Nigeria, to complement the effort of government, they have been calling on state government to come to the aid of the returnees by reuniting them with their families.
Many states, especially the southwestern states have not responded to the call for the following reasons:
Travelling expense for the returnees from Lagos:
Hitherto, state governments have been responsible for their welfare including stipends for transportation back to their various homes so as to reunite with their respective families.
Temporary housing:
Another reason state government may be shying away from the responsibility of reintegrating the returnees with their families is the cost associated with providing temporary accommodation for the returnees
Screening:
Many states may be running away from the cost associated with screening, The Federal Government has ordered medical screening of Nigerian returnees from Libya, as part of efforts to prepare them for reuniting with their families and the larger society.
The government has also directed that a counselling unit must be set up to provide psycho-social services, in that, quite a number of them must have been traumatized by the unwholesome experience they suffered while in Libya.
Provision of stipends:
Migrants who were stuck in Libya and have returned to Nigeria have rejected Edo State’s allowance of ₦1,000 for transport, The Edo State temporary shelter located in Benin has since January 8, 2018 reportedly received 900 returnees, some of whom were moved from Port Harcourt.
The returnees have reportedly complained that those in Lagos State received ₦40,000.
A returnee, Joyce complained that the sum was insufficient to take her to her hometown in Orhionmwon Local Government Area.
The state government has, upon listening to the complaints of the returnees, reportedly increased the allowance to ₦5,000
Chairman of the State Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking and the state’s Commissioner of Justice, Yinka Omorogbe, explained to newsmen that the protest was a result of misinformation.
She explained that the returnees in Lagos were awarded ₦41,000 by the European Union through the International Organisation for Migration.
Training:
State governments will need a skill acquisition centre to train the Libyan returnees on various vocational training
Edo State government promised to work with Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) for implementation of skill acquisition programmes for the returnees. However, some of the returnees we spoke with who pleaded anonymity said they were in the dark on the implementation of the programme many months after the approval was made.
Land for agribusiness and a take-off capital:
State government are responsible for implementation of resettling the returnees, Edo government is yet to redeem its pledge to the returnees after a programme last year
Some of the returnees from Libya have appealed to Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo to fulfil his pledge and release the grant of N100 million for 150 hectares of land to them.
Most of the returnees we spoke to confessed to having gone through hell in Libya. It is advisable for young Nigerians to strive to make the best out of whatever situation they might find themselves in Nigeria.
