The first batch of Nigerians stranded in Ukraine due to the ongoing war in the European country arrived in Abuja on Friday morning.
Though they can now heave a sigh of relief that they’re out of the woods and safe, many of them, especially those who have lost their jobs as a result of the crisis, may be worried over the uncertainties that lie ahead in the coming days.
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With Nigeria currently in the middle of harsh economic situation, unemployment and insecurity, the returnees arguably have cause to feel unsettled.
Perhaps, such anticipated uncertainties were responsible for why many of them were reluctant to come home.
“Most Nigerians who are here on hustle are not willing to leave, they prefer to die here. It’s like after God has lifted you one step higher, you want to go two steps backward; it’s like being demoted. But you need a lot of humility to go back to Nigeria because some people sold lands, cars, and the rest to come here and they have amazing stories,” Treasure Bellgam, a medical student in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, had said.
Another Nigerian living in Kiev buttressed the claim raised by the medical student, saying, “Considering the economy in Nigeria, I think a lot of people would prefer to look for the safest place here to returning to Nigeria.”
However, it was gathered that some of the refugees had agreed to return home after they were convinced. While they battle to put the traumatic experience behind them on return to their home country, here are, in no particular order, four things they need for gradual reintegration into society.
Emergency Care
An Economics Professor, Sheriffdeen Tella, urged the government to make provisions for emergency services such as health, feeding and temporary accommodation for returnees who might not be able to reunite with their families immediately.
He said, “Some of them have their parents so it is a matter of the government informing the parents that their wards will be arriving in the country. The government needs to prepare for emergency services in terms of health, feeding and others. There should be food for those who may not be able to reunite with their families in time.
“They can lodge them in hotels because if some of them couldn’t get to their destination on the day they arrive, they will need somewhere to stay. However, you cannot rely on government. Everybody is looking for what they can gain in this assignment. Even if the money is provided, half of it may be pocketed.”
Psychotherapy care
A psycho-social support officer and team lead People Awareness on Health Foundation in Nigeria (PAHFIN), Iveren Ironsi, advised that psychotherapy care should be made available for the returnees to cope with the trauma of war.
She stated, “They (returnees) need to be handed over to professionals for psychotherapy. It is very necessary. For those going back to their parents, they will go back in an aggressive mood.
“Some of them may be forlorn, trying to separate themselves from others all because of the psychological effect. They need psychotherapy because of the war they have experienced and because of the socioeconomic factor in terms of how they met the country.”
Determination
Where there is a will, there is a way is an axiom Prof Oni Fagboungbe, a psychologist, said the returnees needed to apply to overcome the effect of their sudden relocation.
“What makes a man is his ability to get up each time he is down,” Fagboungbe noted, reflecting on the words of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“They should see it is a temporary setback and one of the things that occur to people in life. Any barrier that comes your way in life is temporary if determination is there. So they need to be determined,” he added.
Social Support
In this regard, Ironsi appealed to the government to find means of stabilising the returnees, many of whom she said returned to country unfulfilled after leaving the country to Ukraine in search of greener pastures.
She said, “They are used to certain ways of life over there. So, the change, which they didn’t even prepare for, is not a subtle one. It happened because of the ongoing war. There should be a way the Nigerian government can stabilise them by making provisions for them. For those of them who were students there, it is not going to be easy integrating them back to their families.
“For those working there, the government needs to look for a way to stabilise them before they can be integrated fully into society. As it is now, it is trauma, especially for those who left Nigeria for greener pastures. Now it’s a double trauma; you left at a certain level, hoping that your coming back would be for the better. It was for that reason some people have refused to return home.”
Fagboungbe buttressed this, saying at this period, the returnees need sympathy and social support, especially from the Federal Government and their people generally.
He warned that if the government and people didn’t support them, it could lead to permanent discouragement.
The psychologist said, “For those among them who don’t have anywhere to go to, this is where the government needs to show parental care. They should take up the responsibilities. It is mostly the government responsibilities to take care of their needs. It is a traumatic experience that can happen to anybody even within Nigeria.
“Life does not obey normal course. There is always a midpoint. At the midpoint, there is deviation to negative and positive sides. When it is negative, like in their own case now, this is where the government needs to be responsible and not think of how much they can make from their calamity.”
