The Edo Government has strengthened support for stranded returnees through rehabilitation; reintegration and empowerment programmes aimed at helping them rebuild their lives.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Eugenia Abdallah, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Benin.
Abdallah said that the ministry usually provided temporary shelter, medical care, psychosocial support, skills acquisition and business empowerment for stranded persons, particularly women and other vulnerable groups.
She also said that the government collaborated with partners, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the European Union (EU) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), to strengthen reintegration efforts and discourage irregular migration.
According to her, the state’s reintegration programme provides care, protection and opportunities for people who return to the state and require assistance.
She explained that beneficiaries were enrolled in vocational and entrepreneurial training programmes to equip them with skills for successful reintegration into society.
The commissioner said the ministry also rehabilitated vulnerable women rescued from the streets, victims of human trafficking and other vulnerable persons through medical care, counseling and, where possible, family reunification.
She cited the case of Miss Elizabeth Pius, a pregnant returnee from Côte d’Ivoire, as one of the beneficiaries of the ministry’s intervention.
She explained that Pius, an indigene of Akwa Ibom, travelled to Côte d’Ivoire in search of greener pastures but was abandoned and returned to Nigeria after her employer discovered she was pregnant.
According to her, Pius later arrived in Benin without accommodation or means of survival and sought assistance from the ministry.
She said the ministry took responsibility for her welfare, ensured she received antenatal care and supported her throughout the pregnancy.
“We facilitated a successful Caesarean Section, and today both mother and baby are healthy,” she said.
Abdallah reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of Gov. Monday Okpebholo to protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring that those in need received the support required to reintegrate successfully into society.
She advised Nigerians, particularly young people, to avoid irregular migration and seek accurate information and legitimate pathways before traveling abroad.(NAN).
