Looking at the photograph of those migrants, which media reports said comprised of Nigerians, Ghanaians, Sierra Leoneans and Senegalese nationals about a fortnight ago was a grisly reminder of the era of slave trade. The caption under the picture was equally apt – “A risky trip” – with the rider: “Over 140 migrants and refugees, mainly from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Sierra Leone, who were transported by the German navy frigate, Werra, as part of the European external action service, EU Navfor Med, wait to disembark at the Augusta harbour in eastern Italy…” It was a photo piece that buttressed a people wearied by their grouchiness concerning the situation in their home countries. All of them, vibrant males and females, reflected extreme unpleasantness, hopelessness and decay. They, without saying so, willingly surrendered their lives to fate and foreigners. The only difference was that they were not in chains.
In their tens of thousands, they rush to Europe. Their destination: Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Hungary or Turkey, et cetera. And their mission? Searching for the good life. They also defy all manner of restrictions erected on their paths by the host countries; and in thousands the unfortunate ones perish, yet they are undeterred. Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekwermadu, at the 2015 First Ordinary Session of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament) in Abuja last May, shortly before the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, graphically captured the debilitating spectacle when he said: “It is sad that while the Trans-Atlantic slave trade saw Africans chained and forcefully taken to foreign lands, the harsh economic realities at home today, force our people to embark on suicidal journeys into Europe and other parts of the world. This is very scandalous. We must initiate urgent and concerted efforts to end the suicidal voyages. Accepted that greed, ignorance, and false expectations contribute to the endless fatal journeys, we must as regional and national parliaments step up our legislative efforts to entrench good governance that provides jobs, equal opportunities, and, indeed, caters for the welfare and security of our peoples”.
Harsh economic realities economic realities, indeed, foisted on the fleeing citizens by no other group but mostly their heartless leaders bewitched by kleptomania. But it is not economic hardship alone that is scourging the African continent. The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, who visited Nigeria recently, did say that growing global terrorism, war and restiveness were mainly the fallouts of bad governance, mismanagement and injustice by political leaders. Leaders, like Ekweremadu, for example, have never lacked flowery words concerning good governance, catering for the people’s welfare, stemming poverty, and the like. But have those words rubbed off on the reality on ground? For African nations as a whole; and Nigeria in particular, their readiness to provide quality and purposeful leadership that will engender peace, development and prosperity on the continent are inevitable. We insist it is the bounden responsibility of African leaders to inspire hope of a better and greater future for their peoples, not desperation to flee from the shores of Africa. For the international community, especially European Union member-countries now running from pillar to post in search of how best to control the influx of migrants, President Muhammadu Buhari’s remark at the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, United States, concerning the safe havens some countries provide for the proceeds of corruption, is very instructive. Buhari, we recall, urged his colleagues at the meeting to “urgently redouble efforts towards strengthening the mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for proceeds of corruption; and ensuring the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin”.
Buhari stated, in addition: “Let me reaffirm the Nigerian government’s unwavering commitment to fight corruption and illicit financial flows. By any consideration, corruption and cross-border financial crimes are impediments to development, economic growth and the realization of the well-being of citizens across the globe. Nigeria is ready and willing to partner with international agencies and individual countries on a bilateral basis to confront crimes and corruption”. This truth is impeccable. It should be taken due cognizance of and worked on.
