Obaseki seeks international coalition to end slavery

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo says the state government is seeking partnerships with the international organisations to end slavery in all ramifications.

Obaseki spoke at the occasion commemorating the International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition in Benin.

The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is a day set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

This is to remember the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

The maiden edition of the day was celebrated in Haiti on Aug. 23, 1998.

Obaseki said: “While Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in human beings ended over 200 years ago, slavery has refused to go away.

“Slavery still thrives in several other forms.

“Millions of children, teenagers and even adults, being sold daily across the world by human traffickers to greedy masters and mistresses, who use them for cheap labour and illicit sex trade.”

The governor, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, decried the negative backlash of human trafficking on the society.

He listed them to include the erosion of age-old progressive values such as hard work, integrity and self-worth.

Obaseki said that international coalition was needed to put an end to the de-humanising practice.

“In Edo, our administration is committed to the fight against human trafficking as many Edo youths have lost their lives to the illicit trade.

“We have set up an Anti-human Trafficking Task Force to go after human traffickers in the state,” Obaseki said.

He said that his administration would support the Federal Government’s plan to extend the whistle-blowing policy to human trafficking.

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, which started in the 16th Century by the Portuguese ended in 19th Century.

Historians put the numbers of Africans transported to America at over 12 million between 16th and 19th Centuries.