Only job security in Nigeria’ll tame Libya, Mediterranean exodus ― Atiku
Antidote to the trending suicidal movement of Nigerians through the Sahara desert enroute Libya, Mediterranean Sea to hit Europe, has been found by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking at an event in Abuja to mark on the United Nations International Migrants Day (UNIMD) on Monday, he argued that “Only the creation of job opportunities and inclusive government that does not engender crisis will stem the ill-fated migration of Nigerians through the Mediterranean Sea”.
He acknowledged that migration is caused by poverty and insecurity in the original countries of the migrants.
Business Hilights recalls that over 1,500 Nigerians had been evacuated from Libya in the last two weeks following a presidential directive that stemmed from reports of torture and deaths of Nigerians trying to enter Europe through the Mediterranean from Libya.
The latest chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stressed that the major driver of migration, which he observed are at times are ill fated like in the case of Libya is the search of a better life and opportunity.
Abubakar decried the recent revelation by the National Bureau of Statistics which noted that the country loses about three million jobs annually in the last 2 years.
He therefore advised governments at all levels to create the enabling environment that will attract and sustain investments that will create jobs for the army of unemployed.
According to him, “The chances of a young person with a job and opportunity at home taken a suicidal flight in search of a better life will become an exception and not the rule.”
He said also that a fair and inclusive government would spread available opportunity to all citizens and encourage those with entrepreneurial inclination to start businesses and factories to absorb the teeming population of the unemployed thus making unbridled migration unnecessary.
The former Vice President however reminded that “migrants being humans deserve decent treatment” in apparent reference to the harrowing experience and stereotype facing migrants the World over.
In his submission, Atiku Abubakar argued that migrants did not choose to be migrants and that it is unpleasant social, economic and political conditions in many countries that forcefully uproot people and turn them into migrants seeking new homes, security, employment and a better future.
He regretted that one of the worst forms of maltreatment, which a migrant can experience, is the large scale enslavement of young and helpless Nigerian and African migrants in Libya which recently drew global attention.
Abubakar said that to prevent the recurrence of unbridled migration as it exists today among Nigerian youths, the authorities at Federal and State levels should endeavor to discourage potential migrants through public enlightenment and information about the down sides of poorly conceived overseas travels.
