Lanre Babalola
Despite the efforts by the Nigerian Government and other Africa countries to curtail the activities of human traffickers across Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, the illegitimate trade has continued unabated.
Speaking with PMNEWS in his office in Victoria Island, Lagos Wednesday, a renowned environmentalist, Dr. Newton Jibunoh decried the increasing rate of human trafficking in sub-Saharan Africa, adding that the Federal Government should take urgent steps to stem the menace.
Chief Jibunoh who had visited the Sahara desert through road four times attributed the problems of human trafficking in Africa to bad leadership, poverty, unemployment, hopelessness and the get-rich-quick syndrome among the perpetrators of the nefarious act.
The environmentalist described the deplorable conditions of victims of human trafficking as pitiable. These conditions, he said, include hunger, lack of shelter, food and untimely death and prostitution.
He appealed to the Federal Government to arrest the cartel and perpetrators of the dastardly act, stressing that they make millions of dollars from this illegitimate trade.
According to the adventurist, many Nigerians being trafficked to Europe paid as much as N500,000 per person, while many people had died on their way to Libya and Morocco.
On how to tackle the menace of human trafficking, Dr. Jibunoh advised the Federal Government to create jobs for the unemployed, tackle inflation, cost of living, organize regular seminars to sensitive the people on the evil of human trafficking and shooting videos and movies to expose the danger of human trafficking.
He explained that majority of the persons being trafficked to Europe were mostly from the Southern parts of Nigeria, especially from Edo State, eastern states and Yoruba.
The renowned explorer and environmentalist berated President Muhammadu Buhari for paying lip service to the killings being perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen in Benue and other states across the Federation.
Dr. Jibunoh stated that President Buhari has not done enough to halt the senseless killings and unwarranted attacks being unleashed on innocent farmers in Benue and other states across the country, adding that the President should stop playing politics with the peoples’ life.
According to the elder statesman who clocked 80 years in January, President Buhari should take decisive action to stop the inglorious and primitive acts perpetrated by the herders, stressing that instead of the current blame game by the Presidency, as a father of the nation, he should do something urgent to avert the unnecessary waste of lives and properties.
On the clamour for the establishment of cattle colonies and ranches across the Federation, Dr. Jibunoh said there is need for dialogue and negotiation between the Federal Government, the host communities and the Fulani herdsmen.
He contended that both the farmers and the herders must live in peace before they can carry out their legitimate trades.
Dr. Jibunoh attributed the current fracas between the herders and farmers to failure by the Federal Government to implement well-articulated programmes on environment and desertification formulated over 20 years ago.
On the degradation of the environment by foreign oil firms, the environmental expert urged the Federal Government to sanction foreign oil companies that fail to comply with the laws of Nigeria and refuse to carry out corporate social responsibility.
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