The Federal Executive Council (FEC) at it meeting in Abuja on Wednesday approved the sum of N3.53 billion ($8.5mn) for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians from Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
The decision of the FEC was disclosed to State House Correspondents by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada shortly after the meeting that was presided over by the Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to media reports seen by Investogist, FEC was responding to a joint memo presented by the ministries of foreign affairs and humanitarian affairs, disaster management & social development.
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Explaining the amount approved, Dada stated that, “the ministry of humanitarian affairs had written a memo to the president seeking funding to enable us to conduct this exercise. The memo was to the tune of $8.5mn which Mr. President has graciously approved. That provision entails an arrangement to evacuate no less than 5,000 Nigerians.
“it also includes some assistance for the feeding that may have been done by the missions under whatever arrangements.. Even the missions themselves are also in dire situations.”
The Minister of State said that the Federal Government has contracted Air Peace and Max Air airlines to avail three aircraft to facilitate the evacuation.
The evacuation fight according to Mr. Dada is to begin immediately today being Wednesday 2nd March 2022.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
