Media And Others To The Rescue
By Adesanya Adeoti
In expressing my feelings about the returnees from the Libya, I commend the effort of the state government for responding to the prompt evacuation of Osun citizens who just returned from Libya: the modern day slavery camp, especially the warmth welcome given by the Osun State Emergency Maintenance Agency (OSEMA) and the reassurance that the state government is ready to give them a new lease of life through skill/acquisition programmes, empowerment, as well as help those who still wish to return to schools for learning. The government gesture shows the commitment of the present administration to the welfare of its citizenry.
However, it is important for the government to take proactive stance to migration the illegal importation of our citizens under the guise of enrolling them for job in Libya and some other countries.
According to the testimonies of some of the returnees, they are being deceived by assurance of availability of lucrative job in the Middle East enroute Libya, not only greener pasture in Europe.
Some of these agents of recruitment who later trade in the lives of the unsuspecting individuals sometimes went on broadcast media to advertise that their agencies could link prospective job seekers with appropriate agency in North Africa and Middle East. So, there is need for media organizations to desist from allowing those agents of slavery to use their medium.
Media houses in general should scrutinize such “travelling agents” as they only recruit for some individuals who later sell their brothers/sisters into modern day slavery.
Aside, the unemployment issue should be tackled by all and sundry as more emphasis should be on productivity rather than seeking office jobs.
Parents too should be enlightened that sending their wards overseas is not the remedy for their joblessness, as money expended on such travelling could be used to settle such individual to establish small scale business.
In conclusion, if mass migration of our youths to slavery must stop, the media should not collaborate with evil agents who disguise as travelling agents and all must help to tackle unemployment of the youth that had plagued our nation.
