By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Edo State government has taken a step further in tackling human trafficking in the state by collaborating with Italy.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, while welcoming President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Laura Boldrini, into the palace of Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, said the necessary legislation and policies would be put in place to combat the menace.
It is generally believed that ladies from Edo State find their way to Italy to work as women of seay virtue.
During the visit, the monarch stated that more can be done in the fight against human trafficking in the state and county in general.
He suggested that a lot more should be done in the areas of youth empowerment and creation of the relevant industries to absorb the youths after they have been trained, recalling that he had always being in the vanguard of the fight against human trafficking especially while he was the Nigerian ambassador to Italy.
“I did a lot on human trafficking and I worked closely with the Director of Interior, Italy, to get an MoU signed that would allow the Nigerian Police work with the Italian Police to identify Nigerian immigrants in their country,” he said.
In her remarks, Boldrini commended the Oba for his active role in addressing human trafficking while he was the Nigerian ambassador to Italy.
She said illegal migration was a global phenomenon which every country should join forces to address while.
Governor Obaseki notified the Oba of a workshop on human trafficking organised in the state, adding that the full report of the workshop would be presented to him.
He also intimated the Oba of the Italian government’s readiness to collaborate with the State to address a lot of issues including human trafficking, while commending Boldrini’s efforts in humanitarian services.
Adedapo Adesanya