Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, has accused the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity of incompetence and possible complicity in the trafficking and alleged abuse of Nigerians seeking employment opportunities abroad.
Akande-Sadipe made the allegation during a meeting of the committee, where she expressed concern over the ministry’s handling of international recruitment activities and the conditions reportedly faced by some Nigerians in foreign countries.
She also criticised the Minister of Labour and Productivity at the time, Dr. Chris Ngige, for repeatedly failing to appear before the committee despite several invitations to provide clarification on issues surrounding the licensing of international recruitment agencies.
According to a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Olamilekan Olusada, the committee was concerned that the ministry’s actions or omissions could have contributed to the abuse of Nigerians abroad.
“It appears that there is a clear incompetence or complicity within the ministry that has led to this compromise in the trafficking and abuse of Nigerian citizens,” the statement quoted Akande-Sadipe as saying.
The committee alleged that Ngige had been invited on five occasions but was represented by a Permanent Secretary at the meetings. It expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation that the Permanent Secretary was newly appointed and therefore unfamiliar with previous developments.
“We have invited him five times and he was again represented by a Permanent Secretary, who claims he is new and does not understand the workings and what transpired prior to his engagement,” Akande-Sadipe said.
She further questioned the issuance of a recruiters’ licence earlier in the year, alleging that it occurred despite an existing moratorium on such licences dating back to 2017.
Committee Raises Questions Over Recruitment Licences
The committee said its investigation had raised concerns about the issuance and renewal of licences to international recruitment companies after the reported moratorium.
It alleged that some licensed agents were involved in taking Nigerian women to Lebanon, despite the absence of a labour agreement between Nigeria and the country.
According to the statement, the committee also raised concerns over alleged cases in which licences were issued to companies that had not fulfilled certain statutory requirements involving the Corporate Affairs Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.
Another concern raised by the lawmakers was the alleged movement of Nigerians abroad by recruitment agents without the mandatory counselling and orientation.
The committee also alleged that some agents failed to comply with annual reporting requirements relating to domestic workers recruited and sent abroad.
It said the Ministry of Labour had been asked on several occasions to provide documents relating to the recruitment companies and their operations, but that some of the requested information had not been supplied.
Where documents were provided, the committee claimed that its preliminary review revealed discrepancies between information contained in the ministry’s records and documents obtained from agencies including FIRS, CAC, NAPTIP, the Ministry of Justice and NSITF.
Lawmakers Demand Recruitment Records
As part of its investigation, the committee had requested details of the criteria used by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity to prequalify international recruiters, alongside evidence that the companies met the stated requirements.
Among the documents requested were copies of applicants’ National Identification Numbers or voters’ cards, as well as the biodata pages of their international passports.
The committee also sought details of international recruitment licences issued between 2014 and 2020, including the number of licences granted and the number of renewals recorded during the period.
It further demanded evidence that each licensed company had complied with statutory registration requirements for doing business with the Nigerian government, including relevant Corporate Affairs Commission documents such as Forms CO2 and CO7.
Copies of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of international recruitment companies licensed between 2014 and 2020 were also requested as part of the committee’s investigation.
Committee Threatens Further Action
Olusada said the committee was concerned that it had not been adequately furnished with the information required to complete its investigation.
“It is sad that Nigeria has to witness such a great disregard for the life of Nigerian citizens by a MDA of the Nigerian Government through their acts which is encouraging human trafficking,” he said.
The committee subsequently warned that it could escalate the matter to the floor of the House if the ministry failed to provide the requested information.
Akande-Sadipe maintained that the alleged disregard for the plight of Nigerians facing difficult and potentially abusive conditions abroad could not be allowed to continue, stressing the need for government agencies responsible for protecting citizens to take the matter seriously.
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