By Our Correspondent
United Nations migration agency, the International Organization on Migration, IOM and the Ogun State Directorate of National Orientation Agency, Abeokuta South office, on Wednesday organized a refresher training of Abeokuta South Local Government facilitators on community dialogue, monitoring and evaluation on ways to check illegal migration through public awareness.
The refresher training which took place at the Abeokuta South office of NOA, Ake Abeokuta, focused on the dangers of illegal migration as it affects the local government and decided to discuss with some local government facilitators on their roles in educating their people in order to check illegal migration.
Mrs Toyin Oluwa, the local government Chief Orientation and Mobilisation Officer, (COMO) while speaking with our reporter said IOM and NOA had deployed Community Leaders and facilitators to different parts of the local government in its quest to curb irregular migration, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Nigeria.
She revealed that through the process it has succeeded in reducing migrants on the dangers of irregular migration and the need for safe and orderly migration.
Her words, “Since the inception of the Joint Initiative, IOM in collaboration with NAPTIP and NOA has been engaged in implementing various awareness-raising activities in Nigeria designed to cause behavioural change among potential migrants and their families and friends.
These interventions aim to improve access to trusted information sources and promote informed decision making by sensitizing potential migrants on regular migration options, vulnerabilities to trafficking in persons, and risks associated with irregular migration.
"The interventions are designed to highlight the opportunities that abound at home, foster social cohesion among migrants and their community members and to encourage homegrown initiatives to indigenous problems.
Also speaking, the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo spoke on the dangers of embarking on greener pastures without following the right path, saying that it has resulted into the deaths of many Nigerians.
Oba Adedotun who was represented by a high Chief in Egbaland, Chief Kehinde Sofenwa thanked NOA for the awareness saying that the campaign will not only support government efforts to stem
irregular migration but will also inform potential migrants of dangers and other challenges that may arise from illegal migration.
He urged participants to continue to create awareness on ways to avoid the many tragedies befalling irregular migrants which often includes loss of life in the deserts or crossing the sea in unseaworthy dugouts.
The Royal Father said many of these illegal migrants are turned into sex slaves or death.
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