Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has signed the Abia State Diaspora Bill into law.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Governor of Abia State, South East, Nigeria, Okezie Ikpeazu has signed the Abia State Diaspora Bill recently passed by the State House of Assembly into law.
Okezie after signing the bill at the Government House in Umuahia, the state capital, commended the State House of Assembly for responding to the yearnings of the Abia community in the diaspora through the crafting of a bill that would provide legal backing to the participation of Abians in the diaspora in the governance of the State.
He promised to create a platform for Abians from all walks of life to participate in the governance process, noting that Abia is endowed with men and women with great capabilities scattered across the world.
He recalled that those in the diaspora have made direct returns and remittances which account for major foreign inflow into the country, adding that in Abia, they have made impressive contributions in the area of farming, healthcare, education and industry.
Ikpeazu also highlighted some of the interventions anchored by Diaspora Abians including the Geriatric Care, Training and Retraining of Teachers, Medical Outreaches amongst others.
He commended them for supporting the building of a Specialist Pediatric Hospital in the State.
Ikpeazu announced that the Special Adviser on Diaspora Matters would henceforth serve as the Acting Executive Secretary of the Diaspora Commission and implored those in the diaspora to continue to look homeward.
