National Diaspora Day: Abia Speaker hails Abians in diaspora

Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji MNSE, has commended Abia indigenes in the diaspora for their continued support to the government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and their positive contributions to the development of the State in particular and the nation in general.

The Speaker stated this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Chief Sir Jude Ndukwe, on the occasion of the National Diaspora Day declared by the federal government.

The Speaker who hailed the federal government for declaring July 25 of every year National Diaspora Day said, “Following the enormous contributions of Nigerians in diaspora to the development of Nigeria’s economy through various means, it is only fitting to have a day like this set aside to celebrate them.

“In 2018 alone, the total remittances to the country by Nigerians in diaspora stood at a whopping $25bn, representing 6.1 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and a huge 83 per cent of the federal budget of 2018 thereby positively impacting our economy in no small ways. This makes our people in the diaspora our greatest export.

“Abians in diaspora in particular have taken this a notch higher in the way they have supported the people and government of Abia State through their several free medical equipment and consumables supplies and other assistance rendered the State. I call on Abians from all walks of life to emulate Abians in diaspora in the way they have been supporting the government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.

“As lawmakers, we shall continue to seek ways of engendering closer collaborations between government and our people in the diaspora through necessary legislative instruments with a view to maximising the mutual benefits of such collaboration for our people”, the statement concluded.

It will be recalled that the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) had said on Tuesday that the federal government had declared July 25 of every year National Diaspora Day “in recognition of the contributions of Nigerians in diaspora towards national development”.