By Jonathan Lois
The House of Representatives Member, from Oluyole Federal Constituency, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe on Tuesday reunited an indigene of Oyo state, repatriated from Oman to Nigeria with her family.
Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, who Chairs House of Reps Committee on Diaspora, said the affected person was repatriated to the country through the Muritala Muhammed international airport.
She said, the victim, Adunni Nafisat Oseni, a member of her constituency, was denied the opportunity to return home by her employers, until her office intervened.
The returnee willingly submitted herself to be repatriated back to Nigeria due to the inhumane situation she and many others were subjected to in Oman.
Akande-Sadipe decried the inhumane treatment being melted on Nigerians in some Arab countries, and the unfortunate situation they subject them to.
While she commended NAPTIP for its good work and synergy with relevant agencies, she called for more funding for NAPTIP, an agency saddled with the responsibility to fight human trafficking in the country.
“As it stands today, we have over 20, 000 Nigerian girls living in tents in Mali, an African country. Over 40, 000 girls in Lebanon”, she said.
She pledged the 9th Assembly’s commitment to a total fight against human trafficking offenders in the Nation, by enacting stricter laws against them.
“We have a responsive 9th Assembly, under Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila which is putting in place right laws that would guide against this incessant occurrences” Akande-Sadipe said.
She however noted that relevant agencies in collaboration with the Nigeria Police must press charges against traffickers, this, she said will deter others.
She thanked the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIDCOM, NAPTIP and other relevant stakeholders who she said have been supportive in the efforts to stem the tide in trafficking of Nigerian girls to countries Nigeria has no bilateral relationship with.
Speaking on the delay of 35 Nigerians at the Ghanaian border, she said the proper arm of the executive has picked up the responsibility.
Hon. Akande-Sadipe called for further collaboration among all relevant Government in rehabilitating the girls, who she noted left the country for socio-economic reasons.
“The ugly situation in the country, led Nigerians to these unsafe countries, in search for greener pastures. However, they became victims and targets of attack in those countries Nogeria has no bilateral relationship with. This made them to come back home, most times, with nothing” she decried.
On Ministry of Labour’s role, she noted that the Ministry’s lackadaisical attitude needs to be addressed.
“The Ministry needs to take charge of its responsibilities and functions in ensuring they check if Nigeria has bilateral relationships with some of the countries Nigerians are being trafficked to. We should start from there first”, she said.
She also noted that some of the agents who trafficking girls to Arab countries and neighbouring African countries, have no license from the Ministry of Labour. Therefore, there are certain actions the Ministry needs to work on to nip this ugly act on the bud.
Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe assured Nigerians that the returnee was properly screened by security agencies and health institutions to ascertain her status before released into the society.
In his words, the Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Service, at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Mr. Abdulahi Usman pleaded with Nigerians not to travel without proper guidance, noting that Adunni’s case is one out of many cases of deception.
Recalling her ordeal in Oman, Adunni called on girls and young people not to rush out of the country in search of greener pastures without proper scrutiny of the agent involved.
