Francis Ewherido
I thought I would stay away from writing on the modern-day slave trade/human trafficking tragedy that the world has belatedly woken up to, because sometimes, you want to keep your anti-tidal views to yourself. But my conscience and itchy pen will not let me be. Squared against a weaker opponent, the stronger party is almost always guilty/wrong in Nigeria, so it is understandable that governments, both at the federal and state levels, have been at the receiving end of the caustic tongues of Nigerians in the traditional and social media, and it is impossible to exonerate the government. The handling of the problems that culminated in the crisis, the crisis itself and the management of information by the government have been very unsatisfactory.
The president and governors swore to uphold the Nigerian constitution and that includes protecting Nigeria citizens, wherever they are. Solve the problem first and we can talk about what happened that put Nigerians in that situation later. When those three foolish American boys shoplifted in China, President Donald Trump promptly intervened and got them off the hook. Never mind that in his usual infantile manner, he later tweeted that he should have left them in China to stew in their juice. That would have amounted to betraying the constitution he swore to uphold. Our government was too slow in acting, but thank God they acted at all. But it still needs more action until all trapped and enslaved Nigerians are brought back from Libya.
Now let us go back to how we got to this pathetic state. Prior to 1986, Nigerians had no business going to Europe through Libya. We flew directly to Europe either with or without visa. Then our economy started faltering and instead of standing firm and fighting the people and reasons responsible for this slide, some Nigerians took the easier option: fleeing from the worsening economy.
As they fled, it became obvious that some of those fleeing were actually part of our problems back home. They took along with them prostitution, drug trafficking, fraud and other crimes. As their numbers increased, so did their atrocities. Our hosts tightened the noose and it became increasingly more difficult to legitimately travel to these countries. As the economic situation got worse back home, Nigerians became more desperate and those with crooked minds veered into illegal ways of getting to Europe. Some of those who made it to Europe came by sudden wealth and like sharks that have tasted blood, Nigerians went into frenzy. Welcome to the Libyan route to Europe, via the hazardous Sahara Desert. Meanwhile, the economic situation in Nigeria was worsening, fueled mainly by bad and inconsistent government policies and pervasive corruption that permeates all aspects of our national life.
As usual, government was slow to react to the illegal migrations, and when it did, the reaction did not match the magnitude of the problem. On the other hand, many youths and their families had tasted blood and were not to be deterred by half-hearted messages and actions. Another major problem had gradually arisen. Many Nigerians and their families believed that their only ticket out of poverty was to have a member of the family in Europe. Edo State is one of the most affected states. A friend likened the situation of Edo State to the South East of some years back where every family wanted to produce a Catholic priest. Many families in Edo State wanted one of their own in Europe, Italy being the favourite destination for the ladies.
Family lands and houses were sold to fund these trips. Where there was no land or property to sell, money was communally raised by taxing family members. Some families borrowed money from usurers at cut-throat interest rates. Fathers and mothers sent their daughters to Italy, some men even sent their wives! Sons were sent to all destinations in Europe to “hustle.” Soon powerful prostitution and human trafficking rings sprang up all over Edo State and other parts of Nigeria to fulfill the yearnings of Nigerians to travel to Europe by hook or crook. The government stepped up its efforts in telling Nigerians of the inherent dangers and dissuading Nigerians from travelling abroad, especially illegally. Even the highly revered late Oba of Benin, Erediauwa, lent his royal support and voice to the campaign, but they fell on deaf ears. Only one thing could have stemmed the tide: a much improved economy.
Then we started hearing stories of Nigerians dying and being killed in the Sahara Desert on their way to Libya. This too did not dissuade migrants. Then we started seeing images of migrants dying in their hundreds in the Mediterranean Sea. This too did not scratch the surface. Then stories of Nigerians who are stranded in Libya started filtering in. They were not only stranded, they were being sold as slaves, dehumanized, raped, tortured, killed and their body parts sold. CNN did a documentary on the situation in Libya and there was a global outrage and we all became fully awake. I guess that, as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, which was celebrated on December 2, drew near, the world started paying more attention to what was happening in Libya.
The images we have been seeing are gory and the narratives, shocking. From shock there is outrage. Some Nigerians even said we have enough reasons to go to war with Libya, a country without a central government? Boko Haram and other internal challenges are already overstretching our armed forces and economy; let us look for feasible solutions.
This tragedy might just be a blessing in disguise. There are no better advocates and campaigners against the foolish, rash and ill-advised suicidal and illegal travels to Europe than these returnees. Some of the returnees should be trained and employed in the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other such government agencies. After hearing their stories, other youths will advise themselves against embarking on these suicidal migrations. Also Edo State said that rather than drive the human traffickers underground, they will focus on their potential patrons and gradually drive them out of business with zero patronage. It is a long shot, but a great strategy. The full force of the law should, however, be visited on those who are caught.
Second, Edo State has started training and providing financial and material assistance to the returnees to enable them settle down to productive economic lives. This is a great move, but the state needs to build more capacity to cope with the increasing number of returnees. I expect the returnees to reciprocate by pursuing their economic activities with the same vigour and determination they used to accomplish their illegal migration to Libya. If they do, there is no way they will not be successful. Nigeria is riddled with problems and needs. Surely some of these returnees can create value by solving some of these problems/meeting some of these needs and earning a decent income in the process.
Three, bad governance fuelled the economic slide that put us in this mess. These returnees now know that they cannot be politically aloof. They must join other Nigerians in holding governments at the local, state and federal levels accountable. Those returnees who are politically inclined should go into politics to become change agents. They should not allow unscrupulous politicians use them to rig elections and subvert the will of the majority. We need a new order. At least now, we all know that government matter is everybody’s matter. We all benefit from a good government and a bad government is everybody’s tragedy, including those currently enjoying ephemeral government appointments and patronage.