Sunday Okobi
The Neo Black Movement (NBM) of Africa Worldwide has stated that it is perfecting arrangements to partner the federal government in order to empower and resettle Nigerians who were recently repatriated from Libya on account of slave trade and other inhuman activities being perpetrated in that country.
During a march at the weekend in Lagos, the movement’s National Media Officer, Mr. Obiora Klinton Aduba, called on the United Nations, African Union and the Nigerian Government to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book.
According to him, before the middle of the second quarter of next year, seminars and other functions would be organised to empower the returnees and sensitise Nigerians against seeking greener pastures abroad.
He noted that the citizens needed not travel overseas before they could make it in life.
Admitting that unemployment may have necessitated the exodus of some of these citizens, Aduba stated that the movement was brainstorming on how government could create jobs and gainfully engage the youths to stem the emigration.
He noted that the various placards eliciting social justice were informed by the group’s disposition to put an end to poverty, a root cause of these sojourns.
According to him, “We are on the streets to condemn the slave trade and other inhuman acts taking place in Libya. We have marched to their embassy to say no to impunity by the Libyans against their fellow blacks. We call on the United Nations, African Union and the Federal Government to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“NBM of Africa would partner the government to empower the returnees so that they can know that there is more to life and realise that they can be useful to themselves even after the terrible experiences in Libya.â€
Asked why the movement is so passionate about the issue, the National Legal Adviser, Chief Hope Aliyu, recalled that NBM was born to check white’s oppression, decrying that in this instance, it were Africans inflicting torture on fellow blacks.
He stated that the happenings in the North African nation were unacceptable and contravened the ideals of the group.
Aliyu corroborated Aduba that programmes were being mulled to make life more meaningful for the returnees.
Also, the Northern Regional President of the association, Chief Duncan Amadi, urged government to create the enabling environment for the nation’s development to forestall a repeat of the Libyan scenario.
Officials of the Department of State Service (DSS) lauded the peaceful protest, promising to channel the concerns to the appropriate quarters.
