In an unprecedented demonstration of caring leadership and empathy, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma has approved the release of N300m to Imo state students in law school and Nigerian returnees from South Africa who are indigenes of the state.
While the returnees numbering 250 will receive One Million Naira each to enhance their rehabilitation and integration, 100 Imo students in Nigeria Law School will receive N500,000 each to help them cope with the rising cost of living.
Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba disclosed the cheering news in a statement in Owerri.
He said the governor was moved to embark upon the humanitarian gestures because of the extenuating circumstances the beneficiaries found themselves.
” The law students made a passionate appeal to His Excellency to support them to cushion the global inflation as regards cost of living. As a caring father, he responded promptly ” , he explained.
The Commissioner, however, noted that the assistance to the South African returnees was borne out empathy by the governor who felt that the traumatised indigenes needed help, hence he approved what he described as ” re- integration fund” for them.
Emelumba said the governor was convinced that the indigenes who were forced to leave South Africa needed a helping hand from the government to enable them to settle down and re- integrate into the society with minimum discomfort .
The Commissioner noted that under the shared prosperity agenda of the Uzodimma’s administration, every citizen is taken care of outside the infrastructural revolution in the state.
On the law students, Emelumba recalled that this is not the first time that the governor had gone to their aid.
Said he, ” most of them are in the scholarship list of the state government and from time to time, the governor extends a helping hand to them.
