Oyo State Government through the office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Makinde on Diaspora Matter, Hon Bolanle Sarumi Aliyu said her office will kick start a voluntary certification and registration process of all recruitment for jobs and study agencies in Oyo State. Hon Bola stated this on Monday while hosting the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Western States including Edo and Kwara sates on ways to tackle “Human Trafficking in Oyo State.”
According to her, “Diaspora Office will create a database of all agencies certified by her office. We will also create another database for Oyo citizens leaving the country to work or study abroad via recruitment and job agencies. This will enable the Diaspora Office to check up on their welfare once they arrive their destinations.”
“My office will collaborate with churches, mosques, traditional and community leaders in the state to sensitize and educate the citizens on social evils around human trafficking. We shall partner with Tourism board, Immigration Service and Nigeria Customs to ensure they are part of putting an end to trafficking.”
Speaking further, Hon Bola urged all media stations (Radio and Television) to give the Diaspora Office one month to forward list of certified agencies. She added that list of recruitment and job agencies certified by her office would be sent to Embassies in Nigeria so if they are granting visas to be wary of fake agencies. She concluded that Oyo state Diaspora Office would work closely with NIDCOM, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to ensure they are only issuing certificates to certified and qualified agencies.
Speaking on behalf of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agency, Vice-President Western States, Pastor Hezekiah Afolabi said the association was willing to partner with the Diaspora office to ensure human trafficking ends not only in Oyo State but in Nigeria at large. Afolabi advised the Diaspora office to work with Oyo State Pilgrimage Board and other related government agencies to combat the menace of trafficking. He noted that the NANTA was ready to go through the voluntary certification process by the Diaspora Office.
Similarly, the former vice-president of the association Dr. Olatokunbo Dagunduro said some radio stations do promote some unscrupulous individuals who disguised as travel agencies to dupe unsuspecting Nigerians by trafficking them through borders to other countries as domestic servants. He called on the state government through the Diaspora Office to set up a task force that will regulate activities of all travel agencies.
Other members of the association who attended the meeting are, Bewaji Ajibola, Ajibade Olaleye Babatunde Saheed Alquism, Erelu Funmi Rotiba and Obasa Isaiah.
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