Activist lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has reacted to the report of the recovery of 26 Nigerian women from a Spanish warship.
The human rights lawyer blamed illegal migration by citizens on economic hardship, which creates a sense of desperation, adding that there was darkness in the land.
Reports emerged on Monday of the recovery of the corpse of Nigerian women, mostly teenagers from a Spanish warship on the coast of Italy.
He said the current administration had not done enough to address the question of citizens’ survival.
Adegboruwa told Punch, “The situation of Nigeria has taught everyone to become a government to themselves.
“The government has neglected its responsibility under the constitution, which says that the welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“The country we live in now does not recognise merit, even when you score high mark, they tell you, you can’t gain university admission because you are not from a particular part of the country; you can’t get a job, there is no health facility, there is no road; so, our youths are daily dying in the Sahara Desert on their way to Libya, on their way to Italy, to Europe and I think that this is a pointer to the fact that our economy is down.
“We live in a country where everybody is for himself and God for all. I believe the situation of the Nigerian economy does not offer hope for our youths; it does not offer hope for those who have no connections; and life is getting tougher by the day.
“So , I think that this event in particular is a pointer to the fact that our economy has not improved.
“Beyond what we read in the newspapers, Nigerians know what is happening in their homes, there is darkness. They know what is happening in their bank accounts – salaries are not paid, pension is not paid.
“So, people have lost their purchasing power and so the only option left is for our people to seek greener pastures because in those places that they are going to – America, Europe – the things that we are battling with here are taken for granted.
“Nigeria is killing its people. I do not think that this government is particularly the one to blame for it but I think it has not done enough to address the question of survival for the ordinary Nigerian and that is unfortunate.”
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