ping or to treat a simple "knee-dislocation. With several homes overseas and their children and wards studying or living in opulence abroad, why would they care about what the "ordinary-Joe" in Nigeria is going through? The state of acute joblessness and hopelessness in Nigeria is the major driving shaft pushing this many Nigerians into taking such extreme measures, which sometimes involve criminality, in their attempt to literally speaking, be able to put food on the table, hence the desperation to survive by all and any means possible! And if it means "EUROPE BY ROAD" so be it. If it means sailing to Europe in a dinghy raft, so be it. If it means losing one's life in the daring escape from the hell-hole called Nigeria, which Nigeria has been turned into by reason of crass leadership, so be it. Their conclusion is that it could not be worst from the conditions they are escaping from; after-all life in Nigeria is so hellish for the majority of the people that any other thing else is an "improved" condition. What manner of men are running this kind of place, Nigeria? Shameless and unabashed nincompoops whose patriotic credentials is so thin otherwise why would they allow the condition to so deteriorate that the citizens are prepared to brave the rough seas and tidal waves on a mere non-seaworthy contraption to try to find succour elsewhere in some strange land? "Get a break in life or die trying" and they chose to try! 
And this minister of External Affairs in Nigeria, Ojo Maduekwe is opening his loud mouth to shamelessly acknowledge to the world that Nigerians have been turned into desperadoes by conditions at home; and are now going through hell in search of any place they could find succour. Which patriotic citizen in a position of authority will not fight to ameliorate the situation back home, through job creations and some other form of welfare assistance, to cushion the harsh conditions and by extension curtail this "wildebeest-exodus" of Nigerians to foreign lands? Could this Minister tell the world how many jobs his government or the ones before it created to absorb the manpower being churned out in Nigeria at an unparalleled speed? Could this minister tell the world what wattage of electricity his government or the ones before it is generating in Nigeria to assist small scale industries power on? Could this minister tell the world how many kilometers or miles of road his government or the ones before it has constructed in Nigeria to help move people and commodities from one place to another; and by extension, fire the economy to employ these people? Could this minister tell the world how many programs of welfare and social security his government and/or the ones before it put in place to help the suffering Nigeria masses? Could this minister tell the world how many times his government or the ones before it has ever played a big-brother or fatherly role in the interest of any Nigeria in trouble in any foreign land? Why would they not escape? Like a drunken sailor, this minister is atop his "sailing mast" telling the whole world that his country men and women, 10000 of them, perished while escaping untold hardship in his country, Nigeria? Icheoku says SHAMELESS! The minister who was giving a keynote address in an Immigration conference, noted that the issue of "forced (economic) immigration" has taken a moral and cultural dimension which must be tackled at that level for any meaningful progress towards halting it." Icheoku will like to remind the minister of a popular aphorism which says that "he whose house is in order does not 
loiter outside". Mr. Minister of External Affairs, tell your Umaru Yar'Adua to address and fix the root-cause of the desperation rather than you rant about it! These are Nigerians who are dying and some of these deaths are preventable and could have been prevented! Icheoku will also like to add that the exodus has not petered-off yet. The minister also queried why the nation’s youth could engage in such risky adventure that most often resulted in their deaths, all in the name of traveling abroad in search of greener pasture. In response, Icheoku says that is the only meaningful alternative as the other option is to stay back in Nigeria and slowly starve to death. The Minister further stated that no one would love the country more than its citizens, as such, only they could build it to become a great place. To which, Icheoku says, but will you hijackers of government allow people with the know-how to freely return, thrive and fix the pro
blems? Where is the freedom and security? Where also was the free elections that produced Umaru Yar'Adua, whom you are serving as his Foreign Affairs minister? Have you made the conditions safe and viable for such peoples' endeavour to take root? The answer is of course capital "NO"! Mr Minister, please enough of this tortured admission that the leadership of Nigeria has woefully failed her citizens. The only credible course now, is for the old leadership to yield way for new more vibrant and patriotic fresh-minds to mount the saddle and fix what is broken! Salute!
10,000 Nigerians Die On High Sea
ReplyDeleteThe Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, said yesterday that 10,000 Nigerians perished while illegally crossing the sea to Europe, between 1999 and 2002.
He said this while declaring open a two-day national workshop on information campaign against irregular migration, in Abuja.
Maduekwe noted that the problem had gone beyond the level where governments of the various nations involved could effectively deal with alone.
He also said that the problem had long gone beyond the level of any form of legal framework through legislation.
"The problem of irregular migration had gone past the level government to government or legislating on," he emphasised.
The minister noted that the issue had taken a moral and cultural dimension which must be tackled at that level for any meaningful progress towards halting it."
He added that this was the reason behind the workshop which would eventually end in a nation wide campaign meant to educate the citizens on the danger inherent in embarking on foreign trips without the requisite documents.
The minister said the workshop was equally meant to revive the cultural and moral value system that was the hallmark of the various Nigerian communities, but has now broken down.
Maduekwe lamented the current situation where due to the activities of few Nigerians, even well meaning and hardworking citizens with genuine and proper travel documents are most often viewed or treated like common criminals at international entry points.
He added that his ministry was deeply concerned about this sad and ugly situation following a series of reports from the country’s missions abroad, and as such was determined to do all it could to end the problem.
The minister did not also spare religious leaders whom he said have now placed material benefits above moral ones, by engaging in showering honour and praise on individuals without questioning their source of material wealth.
Similarly, he challenged political and traditional leaders to do inward search by asking why the nation’s youth could engage in such risks that most often resulted in their deaths, all in the name of traveling abroad in search of greener pasture.
He challenged the international community not to over-dwell on the few travelling Nigerians who were giving the country a bad name, but also talk and celebrate many others who were making great exploits in different parts of the world, while also calling on such Nigerians to remember the country as they contribute to the development of their host countries.
He reminded them that no one would love the country more than its citizens, as such, only they could build it to become a great place.
The minister called on the receiving countries to evolve strategies that would help in solving the problem of irregular migration.
Equally, he expressed hope that the workshop would come up with recommendations that would help the government take practical steps in dealing with the problem.
Also speaking at the workshop, the Minister of Interior, Gen Godwin Abbe (rtd), who was represented by the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration, Mr Chukwura Udeh, said the fight against the menace was collective one, as such all Nigerians must join hands in the fight.
In his goodwill message, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Bob Dewar, noted that the few irregular migrants were causing a lot of problems for regular and law-abiding Nigerian migrants.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by the ambassadors of Italy, Netherlands as well as charge d’affaires of the Swiss Embassy who were at the workshop was also attended by traditional leaders, local government chairmen and many prominent Nigerians from different parts of the country.