World Migration Day: NCAHT honours departed migrants, advocates life jail term for convicted human traffickers
Activists under the aegis of Network of CSO Against Human Trafficking in Niger Delta this Monday held a rally in parts of Benin to commemorate the World Migration Day.
According to Statistics, Nigeria has the 5th largest number of citizens crossing to Europe and the highest number of irregular migrants flow through the Agadez route and Edo State rank the highest in Nigeria.
The activists cladded in black clothes in solidarity with the victims of human trafficking in Edo State brandished placards with various inscriptions calling on government to formulate laws to check the menace of illegal migration.
President of Network of CSO Against Human Trafficking in Niger Delta, Jennifer Ero who led the protest attributed the causes of illegal migration to failure of government.
According to her, the huge rate of unemployment in the Niger Delta, (where it is prevalent) has equally created fertile ground for trafficking in persons and irregular migration.
She lamented that even in the face of its abundant resources, "Niger Delta is the oil producing area in Nigeria yet is largely underdeveloped, in spite of over 50 years of oil exploration and exploitations."
The activists also laid wreaths in commemoration of the Migrants Day, Jennifer Ero said "it was aimed at showing solidarity to migrants that have died while crossing the Mediterranean Sea or in the desert and those being tortured to death on transit route and destination countries, to also convey a message to policy makers and to create awareness to general public the side effects of irregular migration."
The president of the network who commended Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki who recently appointed one of their own, Solomon Okoduwa as SSA on Human trafficking and Illegal Migration, also advocated for a social welfare Programme in place that outlive this administration.
"The state government should look at the area of family strengthening in the community and support the trading rulers in building their capacity to be able to respond to issue bothering on Human trafficking", she stated.
A brief stop at the state House of assembly, the activists appealed to the legislators to quickly pass a bill pending at the Parliament presented by the state government to be looked into and passed into law by giving it accelerated hearing, while advocating for a life jail term for convicted traffickers.
Addressing the activists and some returnees, Speaker Kabiru Adjoto promised that the house will collaborate with civil society organizations to nip the business of Trafficking on the bud.
"We are also poised to destroying the international human trafficking Cartel. We were at Italy recently to look remote causes and collaborate with relevant authorities there to end the menace"
The president of Conference of Non Governmental organizations, CONGOS, Mr. Destiny Enabulele, members of Initiative for Initiative for Youth Awareness on Migration Development and Re-integration, IYAMIDR and officials of National Orientation Agency were part of the rally.
#ProjectEdo
According to Statistics, Nigeria has the 5th largest number of citizens crossing to Europe and the highest number of irregular migrants flow through the Agadez route and Edo State rank the highest in Nigeria.
The activists cladded in black clothes in solidarity with the victims of human trafficking in Edo State brandished placards with various inscriptions calling on government to formulate laws to check the menace of illegal migration.
President of Network of CSO Against Human Trafficking in Niger Delta, Jennifer Ero who led the protest attributed the causes of illegal migration to failure of government.
According to her, the huge rate of unemployment in the Niger Delta, (where it is prevalent) has equally created fertile ground for trafficking in persons and irregular migration.
She lamented that even in the face of its abundant resources, "Niger Delta is the oil producing area in Nigeria yet is largely underdeveloped, in spite of over 50 years of oil exploration and exploitations."
The activists also laid wreaths in commemoration of the Migrants Day, Jennifer Ero said "it was aimed at showing solidarity to migrants that have died while crossing the Mediterranean Sea or in the desert and those being tortured to death on transit route and destination countries, to also convey a message to policy makers and to create awareness to general public the side effects of irregular migration."
The president of the network who commended Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki who recently appointed one of their own, Solomon Okoduwa as SSA on Human trafficking and Illegal Migration, also advocated for a social welfare Programme in place that outlive this administration.
"The state government should look at the area of family strengthening in the community and support the trading rulers in building their capacity to be able to respond to issue bothering on Human trafficking", she stated.
A brief stop at the state House of assembly, the activists appealed to the legislators to quickly pass a bill pending at the Parliament presented by the state government to be looked into and passed into law by giving it accelerated hearing, while advocating for a life jail term for convicted traffickers.
Addressing the activists and some returnees, Speaker Kabiru Adjoto promised that the house will collaborate with civil society organizations to nip the business of Trafficking on the bud.
"We are also poised to destroying the international human trafficking Cartel. We were at Italy recently to look remote causes and collaborate with relevant authorities there to end the menace"
The president of Conference of Non Governmental organizations, CONGOS, Mr. Destiny Enabulele, members of Initiative for Initiative for Youth Awareness on Migration Development and Re-integration, IYAMIDR and officials of National Orientation Agency were part of the rally.
#ProjectEdo
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