A PAPER PRESENTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR OF CROSS RIVER STATE, SENATOR LIYEL IMOKE ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2009 NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LECTURE ORGANISED BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) ON THE 25 MARCH 2009 IN ABUJA.

                                                            
INTRODUCTION

I would like to start by thanking the Human Right Writers Associations of Nigeria (HURIWA) ON THE 25 MARCH 2009 IN ABUJA.

INTRODUCTION

I would like to start by thanking the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) for the very kind words expressed in the letter of invitation recognizing our efforts at ensuring that the people of Cross River State, experience good governance and all the dividends which accrue from it. I must also thank them for affording me the opportunity to contribute to the discourse concerning the growing scourge of Human Trafficking in our country

My central message today is derived from the chosen by the Association for its 2009 National Human Rights Lecture: “HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS A THREAT TO THE ACTUALISATION OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DURABLE DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA: WAYS, MEANS AND STRATEGIES FOR CHECKING THE TREND.”

It is important that Human Trafficking is a clear and blant violation of the human rights of its victims. However, what are the implications of this on the course of democracy and good governance in Nigeria and what can be done to mitigate its effects.

It is important to remind ourselves that Human Trafficking is an abhorrent act of modern day slavery. Human Trafficking by definition denotes that people are forced, trickled or threatened into situations which they are exploited either sexually, financially or through forced labour. Human beings, who are reduced to commodities for sales by traffickers, are not only deprived of their free-will but equally denied the opportunity to develop the life-skills and competencies that enable them to make meaningful contributions to society.

Nigeria is a signatory to many human rights conventions including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights whish was proclaimed in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. Although the implementation of these agreements and the protection of these rights have been less than perfect, the Nigerian Constitution has incorporated some of those human rights which are considered inalienable in its general provisions. It is perhaps pertinent to briefly mention some of the Articles in the Declaration of Human Rights which are relevant to this discussion. They include the following:

  
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                       WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STEM THE TREND?
We have to confront the problem head-on with all our disposal. However, we must also not neglect to address the root cause of this morally reprehensible act. Our approach has to be communal, driven by the people but supported by a firm government commitment to eradicate this social ill. We all have to play our part. Human traffickers live with us and can be identified if we are more alert and determined to put an end to this attack on the development of our society.

We have to embark on a substantive rer-caliberation of the value set of the members of our society, both old and young. The prevailing and unique difficulties of our economic climate as well as a rising tide of desire for material Wealth at any cost, have caused vast swathes of people to abandon moral rectitude in favour of short-term financial gain at greta cost to society.

It is widely acknowledge that the challenges of life are becoming increasingly mre burdensome but that is no justification. We must all work hard to reengineer collective psyche. The less we value our fellow human beings, the more we  eroded our social capital which is the very foundation of cvivilisd society.
We must rediscover the spirit of being or brothers’ keeper treatingeach other with respect, compassion and empathy with which we would like to be treated.

Government also has responsibilities in the respect, good governance is about providing a quality of service which must be seen in its comprehensiveness, not only in terms of physical and social infrastructure but also by the level and consisitency of justice and fairness accorded to each individual. Democracy anywhere in theworld is rendered ineffectiveness if the basic tenest of society, which are represented by the rule of law, are not upheld. A government that cannot protect its people is an irresponsible one and thus is not serving its people.

Poverty, crime, corruption and violence have been part of a vicious cycle adversely affecting the development of Nigerian society. The violence is in part related to ethnic and religious differences and conflict. These conditions have contributed to a considerable emigration pressure and an equally considerable drain on our human capital. These are the root cause issues government has to fundamentally address.

In Nigeria, the war on traffikcking took a new dimension by singing into law the trafficking in persons prohibition law enforcement and administration act 2003, and the establishment of an agency. The agency has assisted in re-uniting between November 2005 and March 2006, 135 victims wih their families. Over 300m cases have been reported since inception, and about 8 traffickers have been jailed. But is this enough? You must agree with me that if the war must succeed then a lot will still have to be done, particularly in prosecution.

The issue of Human Trafficking is particularly significant to me and the people of Cross River State. Our people, like many Nigerians have had a chequered historywith Human Trafficking. Those days, it was reffered to as The Slave Trade but in principle, it is the same inhuman action. My state and its people are determined that this unsavoury aspect of our history should not be repeated.


ARTICLE 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

ARTICLE 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

ARTICLE 4
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all forms.

ARTICLE 5
No one shall be subjected to toture or to cruel and inhumane or degrading treatment.

HOW DOES HUMAN TRAFFICKING AFFECTS US AS A NATION?

Human Trafficking violates all the aforementioned articles but more importantly, human trafficking must be recognized as an abominable act which constitutes a hindrance to the nation’s progress. It is an insult to our collective psyche and above all, an affront on civilized society. Let me simply illustrate how it affects us a nation.

Human Capital remains the greatest resource any nation can depend on for economic growth. A nation’s richest resource cannot be harnessed and exploited if the quality of its human capital is lacking. Education, Health, Basic Infrastructure and Social Norms are all factors which add value to the quality of a nation’s human capital.

These factors are especially important and influential at an early age. Unfortunately it is also at this vulnerable age that the perpetrators in and contributed to a progressive and dynamic society. In the end, the individual looses out but so does society at large. Suffice to say that the younger generation are the key to our development. We are actively (by our efforts) or passively (by our neglect) responsible for how these custodians of the nation’s future turn out.

Apart from the obvious economic ramifications, there is also the apparent denigration of value for human life that accompanies the commoditization of human beings. People become profits and in communities where these acts are “prevalent, the ordinary person is thus treated with less regard.

Accurate data is difficult to obtain on this issue. No universally agreed estimate reflect the number of persons trafficked because of the sensitivity and illegality of the trafficking business, and lack of a precise definition of trafficking, but U.S State Department estimates 700,000 while the International Labour Organization estimates 80,000 mostly women and children trafficked to Thailand and China alone for sex trade since 1990.

  


Therefore in Cross River, measures have been put in place aside the NAPTIP laws to stem the trend.

These include: inauguration of state and local government anti-trafficking committees, sensitization and empowerment of local government committees to form community nets and monitor trafficking activities in local government areas, sensitization of stakeholders in endemic areas and formation of anti-trafficking clubs in schools. Between 2006 and 2009, 186 cases have been reported in the state, and all the victims have been re-united with their families after proper counseling.

We have to make Cross Rive State the No 1 tourist destination in Nigeria. We are working hard to provide the services and amenities that would alleviate the poverty which forces the perpetrators of this crime to resort to such repugnant trade. The steps we take would also help innocent people who might otherwise have fallen victims to the trade by improving their living standards.

We are doing our bit and I hope you will join us in our fight against human trafficking, let us stop this theft of individual potential and our collective future.

Thank you for listening.

 
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