jasdooit

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has brought home another 105 Nigerians from South Africa, taking the number of distressed citizens evacuated by the church to 205 as part of its response to renewed xenophobic and Afrophobic tensions in the country.

The latest group arrived in Lagos comprising 55 adults, 45 children and five infants. They are part of 500 Nigerians the church has undertaken to evacuate from South Africa after receiving appeals for assistance from Nigerians in the country and the Nigerian High Commission.

The RCCG has committed $265,854 for one-way air tickets for the 500 returnees under the humanitarian intervention approved by its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

Chairman of the RCCG Task Force on the Reception of Nigerian Returnees from South Africa and Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Special Duties, Pastor Belemina Obunge, said the intervention was intended to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to assist Nigerians affected by the situation.

According to Obunge, the church became involved after receiving an appeal from Nigerians in South Africa, which was subsequently brought to the attention of the Nigerian High Commission.

He said Adeboye approved the intervention after the appeal reached him.

“The RCCG’s efforts basically are a humanitarian contribution towards the efforts of the Federal Government in making sure that Nigerians who were stranded in South Africa are brought back.

“There was an SOS clarion cry by Nigerians in South Africa. The High Commission in South Africa echoed it; it reached the ears of the General Overseer, and he, being who he is with a heart of compassion, determined that the Church should intervene.

“It was resolved that 500 Nigerians stranded in South Africa should be brought in and airlifted, sponsored by the Church,” he said.

Obunge explained that the first group of 100 Nigerians was evacuated the previous week, while the 105 who arrived in Lagos constituted the second batch.

He said approximately 300 more Nigerians were expected to return once their documentation, profiling and clearance processes were completed.

The task force chairman said the Nigerian High Commission was working with South African authorities to identify and profile Nigerians requiring assistance before their names were submitted for clearance and subsequent evacuation.

He stressed that the exercise was not restricted to RCCG members or people of a particular faith, saying Nigerians were being assisted irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.

“Our national anthem says, ‘Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.’ We believe in that anthem,” he said.

“Those being brought in are of different tribes, different tongues and different religions. Definitely, they are not all members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. In fact, we don’t even know if any of them is a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

“They are wonderful Nigerians and, by the grace of God, they are part of those that we have an assignment towards.”

The evacuation comes against the backdrop of renewed tensions involving foreign nationals in South Africa, including concerns generated by a September 30 deadline reportedly issued by the March and March group asking foreign nationals to leave the country.

The deadline was not an evacuation directive from the South African government, but it nevertheless raised concerns among Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in the country.

The Federal Government has also conducted several evacuation exercises following the resurgence of xenophobic attacks.

As of September 26, the government said 1,821 Nigerians had been evacuated through 13 consular evacuation exercises, including 1,388 whose return was fully funded by the government.

The RCCG initiative consequently adds a private humanitarian intervention to the ongoing government-led efforts and assistance provided by individuals and charitable organisations.

The Nigerian High Commission had earlier appealed for support from private organisations and individuals to assist Nigerians who remained willing to return home.

‘They are not forgotten’

Speaking on the reception of the returnees, Obunge encouraged them to regard their arrival in Nigeria as an opportunity to begin another phase of their lives.

He urged them not to abandon hope because of their experiences abroad, but to draw on the skills and experience they acquired while living in South Africa.

“What we are telling them is that they are not forgotten. They should realize that this is a new beginning. God has a plan for them. They should connect with God, and they shouldn’t lose hope,” he said.

Obunge added that the returnees still had valuable contributions to make to the country.

At the reception, a representative of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Azeez Afuku, commended the RCCG for supporting the government’s evacuation efforts.

Afuku said NEMA and other government agencies had been involved in receiving Nigerians evacuated from South Africa and would continue to support the process.

He explained that the returnees were documented and profiled upon arrival, a process he said would help determine the assistance required for their reintegration.

NEMA, he added, would coordinate the movement of the returnees to their respective state capitals, where they could reconnect with their families.

‘Police arrested us, businesses were destroyed’

Some of the returnees spoke about the difficulties they said they encountered while living in South Africa, including alleged police harassment, arrests and attacks on Nigerian-owned businesses.

Pauline Ijeoma, who said she had spent several years in South Africa, described the situation as increasingly difficult, particularly in relation to her food business.

According to her, encounters with the police became a recurring problem, eventually contributing to her decision to return to Nigeria.

“Every time you go out, police must arrest you,” she said.

Ijeoma alleged that Nigerians with valid documentation were also subjected to repeated questioning and demands for money.

She said her husband had died in South Africa and expressed relief at returning to Nigeria with her family.

“We are so grateful and so happy to be home, because there is no place like home,” she said.

Another returnee, Chukuma Agustin Ayoka, said attacks targeting foreigners and the destruction and looting of Nigerian-owned businesses had made it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to live and work in the country.

He said some Nigerians became afraid to leave their homes or operate their businesses and were consequently compelled to seek assistance to return to Nigeria.

“We have no other choice than to seek rescue, and Redeemed came to our rescue,” he said.

States prepare for reintegration

Beyond receiving the returnees at the airport, some state governments are also putting measures in place to support their indigenes as they settle back into Nigeria.

Representing the Abia State Government, its Special Adviser to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Choma Thomas, said officials were at the airport to receive Abia indigenes who returned under the RCCG programme.

Thomas said Governor Alex Otti had approved ₦1 million for each returning family or individual as part of the state’s support for their reintegration.

She disclosed that the state had already assisted 31 families with about ₦32 million and was preparing to extend the intervention to more returnees.

The RCCG Task Force said the evacuation programme would continue, with about 300 additional Nigerians expected to return after the completion of the required profiling and clearance procedures by the Nigerian High Commission and South African authorities.

Obunge urged the returnees to approach their homecoming as the start of a new chapter, stressing that their skills and experience remained valuable to Nigeria.

“Nigeria needs your stamina, Nigeria needs your talent, Nigeria needs your contribution,” he said.

“We urge you, look ahead with faith, look ahead with confidence. The best is yet to come.”

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).