The Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, has said
that the first batch of the Nigerian returnees from South Africa would
depart South Africa for Lagos on Wednesday.
According to Mr Adama
who spoke to the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone
interview that the first batch of returnees, are expected to depart
South Africa by 9:00 a.m Wednesday.
The consul general also
disclosed that Air peace had indicated interest to evacuate over 600
Nigerians that were willing to return home following the latest
xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
“The first flight leaves by
09:00 hours this Wednesday with about 320 passengers and the second
batch will leave on Thursday all things being equal.
“We have
over 600 who had indicated interest. All things being equal, without any
hitches, the plane will take off by 09:00 hours this Wednesday.
“The manifest for the first flight is ready, and we are working on the next flight,” he said.
President
Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday called for the immediate evacuation of
Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa following the latest
attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals.
Buhari gave the
directive when he received a report of the special envoy to South
Africa, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA),
Ahmed Abubakar.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the
chairman of Air Peace Mr Allen Onyema, had last week volunteered to send
aircraft to evacuate Nigerians who wished to return home for free.
“Air
Peace is willing to support the Nigerian Government’s efforts in this
matter by deploying our B777 aircraft to evacuate Nigerians back home,”
Onyema said.
Mr Oyema advised the returnees against making payment to anyone for their flights to Lagos.
Onyema
urged the returning Nigerians to be wary of unauthorised persons,
reportedly collecting $1,000 from them, adding that none of them should
pay for the flights.
He said, his airline is particularly concerned about the safety of Nigerians in South Africans following the attacks.
“We have not designated or recruited any agent in South Africa to collect money on behalf of Air Peace.
“So, nobody should pay money to anyone or group of persons posing as Air Peace agent or staff.
“Any
Nigerian who has paid money for repatriation to Nigeria with Air Peace
should request for a refund and report to appropriate authorities,” he
said.
The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM),
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had also pledged the Federal Government’s support to
any Nigerian that wanted to return home.
Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said
this after a closed-door meeting with the Senate Committee on Diaspora
and Non-Governmental Organisations in Abuja.
She said that the
returnees would be encouraged to enroll and participate in the various
social intervention programmes of the government.
“We will
encourage them to enroll in small scale entrepreneurial programmes with
the Bank of Industry under the social investment programme. So, there
are things that they can do’’, she said.