The House of Representatives has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sanction the Minister and Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for allegedly violating moratorium on the issuance of International Recruiters Licences.
This was sequel to a motion by Tolulope Alande-Shadipe (APC-Oyo) which was unanimously adopted at plenary on Thursday.
Moving the motion earlier, Shadipe said that the officers should also be made to face disciplinary measures for disregarding and obstruction of the House Committee on Diaspora in its attempt to carry out its official mandate.
Sadipe said that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige be summoned and give explanation on the issuance of International Recruiters Licences.
“It is very important that the Minister, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment appear to explain the inconsistencies observed and the reasons there is presently still no Bilateral Labour Agreement to protect Nigerian migrant workers.
“Also, mandate the Nigeria Police Force to arrest and prosecute government officials found to be complicit in issuing the International Labour Recruiters licensed after September 2017 Moratorium.
“The Nigeria Police Force should also arrest and prosecute all agents/persons Nigerian and Foreign Nationals when found to have compromised the freedom of our citizens or involved in human trafficking,” she said.
The House urged the president to mandate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Nigerian Immigration Service and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to hasten the process of preparing a Bilateral Labour Agreement and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for recruitment of Nigerians for unskilled labour employment in foreign lands.
The House urged the Federal Government to ensure that the remaining allegedly trafficked girls by Mr Wafic Hamza are rescued, repatriated and duly compensated before his release.
The green chamber recommend that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be compelled to provide funding to repatriate girls from the middle East region, Ivory Coast, Libya and Mali, among other countries where girls are being faced with similar challenges.
The lawmakers recommended that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs negotiates affordable evacuation flights for Nigerians in the diaspora who wish to return back home.
The lower chamber urged the Minister of Aviation and the Covid-19 Presidential Task Force (PTF) to open up the airspace to ensure affordable flights of citizens who wish to return home.
The House urged the Federal Government to provide funding for the Nigerian High Commissions and Embassies to assist Nigerian diaspora in distress.
The legislators called on the Federal Government through Diaspora Commission and Foreign Missions to develop relationships with diaspora lawyers to create an avenue to tap on their expertise in the absence of legal representation for citizens abroad.
The legislators called on the Federal Government to empower the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to stop the travel of persons departing from Nigeria for the purpose of work in countries without Labour Agreement with Nigeria.
The House recommended that the Federal Government sets up a joint Taskforce to include the Diaspora Commission, NAPTIP, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, to devise an urgent means of combating human trafficking and funding the repatriation of trafficked citizens stranded across the globe.
