R-L Dr Arome Salifu Executive Director AYGF , Director public enlightenment NAPTIP Orakwe Arinze, Assistant Director legal Nationa Human Rights Commission Jennifer Agu, Director Return , Readmission and Reintegration unit NCFRMI , Ibrahim Sambo, Deputy Director FCT Secondary Education Board Ajayi Olatunde, and the Assistant Director community Development Service NYSC Delphima Eze .
By Emma Okereh
As issues of irregular migration and its dangers continue to worry government and its people, a Non- Governmental Organization (NGO), Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF), last Thursday In Abuja further amplified the need for Nigerians, especially the youths who are more vulnerable, to imbibe the culture of right migration.
At a Debate and Essay competitions grand finale and Award ceremony for 2020 which it organized for secondary school and university students held at the Auditorium of Nile University, its Executive Director, Dr Arome Salifu pointed out the dangers of irregular migration.
In his remarks on the debate which centred on the push and pull factors, he recognized that migration is good and the right of every one but insisted that it has to be done the right way in order to avoid the unpleasant side of it.
He advised the youths not to be blinded by the push and pull factors and plunge into irregular migration which is fraught with dangers including death, slavery, trafficking and many other evils.
He explained that the Migration Information and Communication Campaign (MICC), is a programme designed to contribute to the reduction in the incidences of irregular migration, smuggling of persons and human trafficking undertaken by the AYGF with funding support from the German government through its Foreign Office.
Salifu further explained that the project for 2020 had Edo state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as its target just as it would move into other states in the later years saying that the project is its contribution on the right way to migrate.
‘’It is also a campaign aimed at intensifying and exposing the unimaginable evils inherent in irregular migration’’. He said.
Dr Salifu also explained that the students who participated in the essay and debate competitions making it to the top ten have become automatic ambassadors in the campaign against irregular migration.
He said the winners emerged through independent and transparent processes that involved institutions and experts. Cash prizes were awarded to the first top ten with the first three carting away bigger prizes.
‘’The prizes are to encourage the participants and to further expose the dangers inherent in irregular migration. It has expanded their knowledge and horizon in the campaign and also for them to internalize the lessons learnt and to run away from the evil’.
The event featured presentation of goodwill messages from NAPTIP, NHRC, NCFRMI, FCT SEMB, NIDCOM etc. Other highlights include Drama and Dance presentation by NYSC troupe, Review of Debate videos and Essay entries and presentation of prizes to the winners.
In the essay category, Master Jude Moturanyo of University of Abuja emerged first and was presented with a cheque in the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N250,000). In the debate category, Miss Blessing Chioma Tabansi from Government Girls Secondary School, Dutse came tops and was equally presented with the same amount of N250,000. The two expressed their pleasure and promise to intensify the campaign.
