Skip to main content

Nigeria’s Labour ministry denies complicity in human trafficking

                       Nigeria?s Labour ministry denies complicity in human trafficking

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has denied complicity in human trafficking, following claims of illegal issuance of Recruiters’ Licence to Private Employment Agencies (PEAs). 

 

According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Charles Akpan, they've not issued any recruiters’ licence with respect to the placement of Nigerian citizens abroad in breach of the relevant provisions of the Labour Act CAP L1 2004.

 

Akpan noted that there is a Labour Migration Desk which seeks to ensure and create employment opportunities for Nigerians to work legally abroad, without fear of molestation, exploitation or any form of inhuman treatment or being subjected to unfair labour practices.

 

He said; 

 

“Furthermore, at no time did the Federal Government issue any moratorium against issuance of recruiters’ licence.

“The ministry is empowered by sections 23, 25 and 71 of the Labour Act Cap L1 LFN 2004 to licence fit and proper persons to operate as labour contractors and private employment agencies.

“As part of the strategies to reduce irregular labour migration whilst promoting regular migration, the ministry has put in place a Labour Migration Desk to address the associated problems with the movement of skilled and low skilled persons within and outside the country.

”It is apparent from Section 25 of the Labour Act CAP L1 2004 that persons who meet the requirements for International Licences are eligible to engage in domestic recruitment as well.

“Furthermore, a recruiting agency may recruit low, middle, or highly skilled workers for placement within and outside the country. 

The recruited worker must be brought before an authorised labour officer and certified by that officer as duly recruited in accordance with the provisions of the law.

“It is therefore obvious that the possession of a recruiters’ licence for foreign employment does not confer or guarantee automatic clearance for a recruiter to recruit citizens for work abroad without first complying with the procedures provided in the Labour Act.

“This is before workers travel under a contract of employment with the recruiter.

“To set the records straight, at no time did any person, body or committee request the ministry to suspend its statutory duty of issuing recruiters’ licence to qualified PEAs as being peddled by some uninformed persons.

“It is therefore not true, but a Legislative misrepresentation, for the ministry to be accused or held responsible for the huge numbers of Nigerians trafficked through the Nigerian borders every year.

“The ministry should be commended for instituting a watertight licensing regime which guarantees regular migration of Nigerians to work legitimately in other countries, and for being the Secretariat of the Nigerian Task Force against Forced Labour, Child Labour and Human Trafficking.

“Those who for reasons best known to them have mounted an orchestrated campaign to malign the image of the ministry are therefore by this medium advised to discontinue as facts are sacred."

                                                                                   Credit-LIB 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Police confirms 5 dead, several injured in fresh attacks on Fulani settlements by suspected Mambilla militias

                                  Atleast 5 people were killed and several others injured in fresh attacks on Fulani settlements by suspected Mambilla militia in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State on Saturday. The spokesman for the Taraba State Police Command, ASP David Misal, who confirmed the incident said the crisis started on Thursday over a land dispute between Fulani and Mambilla in Yerimaru village and later snowballed into neighbouring villages. Misal said that units of mobile policemen and soldiers from the 20 battalion in Serti have been dispatched to the area to maintain law and order, adding that several homes were burnt down and many cows killed and stolen during the attack. A fleeing resident Saadu Mogoggo whose house was attacked at Leme suburb of Gembu, said two of his younger brothers were killed their cattle were rustled by the militia. “As I am...

My horrible encounter with Ochanya’s alleged abuser – Victim’s sister speaks (1)

Mr and Mrs Ogbanje, Ochanya's parents   Sitting on the bed in a room at Ogene-Amejo village and listening to Rose Abah, mother of the deceased rape victim, Ochanya Ogbanje; there was almost no way of telling what her next stunning revelation would be. She earlier narrated the horrible details about her daughter, Ochanya’s  death . Mrs Abah told PREMIUM TIMES that Andrew Ogbuja made several attempts to rape her other 26-year-old daughter, Esther Ameh. According to Mrs Abah, the incident happened in April, 2018, when Miss Ameh went to the Ogbuja’s to care for her 13-year-old sister who had become perennially sick, after going to live with Mrs Ogbuja who was a maternal second cousin to the siblings. “Do you know that he also tried to sleep with my late daughter’s elder sister, Esther? That one is 13 years older than Ochanya,” Ms Abah said. Pointing at Miss Ameh’s picture hung on the wall, Mrs Abah said her other daughter had gone to the Ogbuja’s to care of...

The worst crime a family can do is marrying their scumbag son to an innocent girl in the hope he will miraculously change" Arab influencer writes

    An Arab influencer has raised a discussion about families marrying off their sons who are not responsible enough, to innocent girls.   He pointed out that it has become common and when the man's behaviour doesn't improve after marriage, the woman is blamed.   Abed Alii tweeted: "The worst crime a family can do is marrying their son, who they know is a scum bag, to an innocent girl in the hope he will miraculously change...   "My sympathies are always with the womenfolk. They leave their family and come to an absolutely new one, without any support and then get abused. I’ve heard that so many times. 'maybe she’ll change him. She will make him change his bad habits. She’s a good girl.' It’s not her job to educate your son at the risk of damaging her mental Health!  And vice versa... let’s keep it real."   He added that it goes both ways and he has seen it happen to someone he knows.   Read his tweets below.