By Ijendu Iheaka
Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has offered the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) a temporary South-East and South-South office in Abia.
Otti announced the offer on Monday during the visit of the newly appointed IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche.
He said that there were few reported cases of child trafficking and other crimes in Abia currently.
The governor explained that this was due to the state’s zero tolerance for crime and criminality, stressing that anyone caught faced the wrath of the law.
He said that the state had created the Abia Diaspora Commission for the purpose of harnessing the benefits of Abia people in the diaspora.
Otti disclosed that the minimum amount Nigeria received through diaspora remittances was about 20 million dollars with Abia also benefitting.
He however said that sometimes the funds were not well used, although some had been put to good use like in education and other areas.
The governor further said that the state had already received some returnees, while others indicated interest to return home.
Otti said that some Abia people in Diaspora were discouraged from returning because of the fear of having no place to stay.
He said he had given directive to the Abia Ministry of Housing to put up accommodations to cater for such persons.
The governor urged IOM to support Igbo people whom he described as the greatest migrants in Nigeria, adding that they deserved it.
He also gave Dimanche the traditional title of “Akudo” and decorated her with the Abia made handwoven AKWETE Cloth.
Earlier, Dimanche thanked the governor for receiving them, and acknowledged the hospitality of Abia people.
The IOM chief explained that the delegation came to get an update on Abia’s roadmap for implementing an earlier MoU which the parties had signed.
She said that migration was inevitable for humans and so must be planned, managed and done in a safe and regular way.
Dimanche said the IOM desired to help make the over 1.5 million Abia people in Diaspora to serve the state better.
She noted that immigration, trafficking in persons, harnessing diaspora benefits and diaspora data management, were some of the challenges that IOM would collaborate with the state government to solve.
Dimanche also promised to help Abia establish a diaspora information management system and a diaspora bank to ensure premium benefits from Abia’s diaspora.
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