2 African presidents, publisher bag migration advocacy award

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From Okwe Obi, Abuja

Malawian, Sierra Leonean Presidents, Lazarus Chakwera, Julius Maada Bio and Publisher of Naijo News and President of Global Migration Research Institute, (GMRI) Dr. Williams Azuma Ijoma, recently bagged the ‘2022 Migration Advocacy Legendary Award’, in New York. 

Another beneficiary was Sierra Leonean Minister of Labour and Social Security, Alpha Osman Timbo,

Receiving the award at a three-day hybrid Intercontinental Migration Summit, with the theme: ‘Appraising Human Mobility: Prospects and Challenges of Labour Migration Post Pandemic Era’, Ijoma, called for realistic actions geared towards tackling various migration menaces globally.

The event, which was organised by Medgar Evers College, MEC, City University, New York City (CUNY), at Brooklyn, United States, had participants from across the globe.

Ijoma also charged nations to show more commitment towards eradicating poverty, inequality and create more jobs for the needy to hinder human trafficking, slavery and ensure improved labour migration relations with strategies to also address concerns on climatic challenges posing threats to humanity.

“Global warming is worth giving serious attention. The anticipated climatic reactions projected by the World Bank to affect over 216 million people globally by 2030 as an offshoot of emission and environmental hazards such as flooding and weather reaction should concern all of us.

“We must not pretend, the mass movement of migrants to be affected in the North Africa, Asia, Europe, America and others would lead to unprecedented inflation and dislocation of the world economy order if steps are not taken to forestall it.

“The developed countries that are responsible for most of the consequences of global warming should fulfill the accumulated annual $100 billion overdue Green Climatic Funds pledge to the global south nations to mitigate the effect before it is too late,” he warned.

He advocated support for the 280.6 million international migrants accounting for almost four percent of the world population of 7.8 billion with more friendly policies and deliberate evidence based journalism laced with human face given their roles as economic developers.

He commended City University of New York for the award which, according to him was as a result of his commitment and support for the campaign regular Migration in Africa.

Similarly, Senior Vice President for Strategy, Medgar Evers College, MEC, Kimberly Whitehead, and the Dean of MEC, JoAnne Rolle, admonished nations and stakeholders to formulate strategies with clear road map to counter human trafficking and luring women and children into slavery across the world.

On his part, Professor Byron Price from the MEC also raised concerns on millions of migrants in detention camps in America and other countries.

 “An estimated 660,000 children – 150,000 last year alone – have been separated from one parent or both by our nation’s heartless detain-and-deport immigration laws.

 “According to a report by the National Council of La Raza and the Urban Institute, the majority of these children are under age 10 with of them being infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. These children not only experience trauma now, but will likely suffer from this event for the rest of their lives.

“When children experience strong or prolonged adversity without adequate adult support, they are flooded with stress hormones which can disrupt the development of the brain and other systems, resulting in what researchers at Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child call toxic stress response,” he lamented.

Also l, Gerry Weiner, the former Secretary of Government and Minister of Immigration and Citizenship in Canada, pushed for a re-appraisal of migration policies with friendly inputs as being done in his country.

He argued that provisions must be made for the less privilege to lessen agitation for revolution and migration unrest globally.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Apha Timbo, suggested that West African nations must evolve capacity building for migrant workers and preparation of migrants with soft and hard skills and a digitalized migration for tracking, monitoring and social protection.

In her submission, Princess Ocansey, a member of the African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee, bemoaned the unemployment ratio in Africa but averred that “well managed migration can provide several solutions.

“From temporary circular migration opportunities, to strategically positioned remittances to fix emerging forex issues and more,” he said.

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