Nigerian deportees from Libya on Wednesday accused the Nigerian Embassy in the North African country of doing nothing to save their colleagues who died there. They made the accusation when they visited the members of the House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora. Meanwhile, the lower chamber will, on Thursday, debate the reported death of 30 Nigerians recently in China. The matter was brought under urgent national importance by Austin Nwachukwu (PDP, Imo) but members voted that it should be debated on Thursday. The deportees, numbering about 15, who were serving jail terms before the intervention of the committee and a non-governmental organisation, said that they were on the death row in Libya with all hope lost, until the lawmakers intervened. Vitalis Onuoma, who spoke on behalf of the returnees, said the action of the embassy and foreign affairs ministry resulted in the repatriation of over 1000 of them. Another deportee, Kalu Joel stated that not much can be achieved in curbing the menace until the authorities concerned put more efforts to ensure that all borders are properly manned to prevent illegal exit. "The Nigerian authorities and all concerned should make sure the porous borders in the country are blocked, so that all these Nigerians travelling with illegal papers cannot go out of the country," he said, adding that there is "a central park in Niger Republic where all these people are transported to Europe and other parts of the world." Tend your own grass The coordinator of the Coalition of the Rights of Nigerians on Death Row in Libya, Ebele Egbuna, described the experience of the deportees as "harrowing and thought-provoking one". The chairperson of the committee, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said it will intensify efforts to discourage Nigerians from travelling illegally to other countries and also put an end to the inhumane way in which Nigerians are treated outside the country. She advised Nigerians planning to migrate to other countries through illegal routes to do a rethink, stressing "grass is not always greener on the other side."
Deportees accuse embassy officials in Libya of neglect
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By Festus Owete October 22, 2009 02:51AM |
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