Italy, Nigeria &
IMF Get Bashing Over "Trans- Atlantic Sex Trade"
By Tunde Akingbade /
Lagos
The Italian and
Nigerian governments have been criticized for the large sex trade going on between some
faceless people in the two countries. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
were equally no spared by Nigerian discussants who accused them of devaluation of the
country's currency and people during a public television programme.
They observed that both the Italian and Nigerian governments and the
International Monetary institutions contributed to the trade which was likened to
another form of Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade . According to Eugenia Bonetti, a Roman
Catholic Sister who is based in Italy, many Nigerian girls who were tricked into
prostitution have run mad on the streets of Italy with no one to take care of
them.
The bashing of the two governments took place during a public discussion programme
on Nigerian Television Authority network by a panel which included Eugenia Bonetti, the
Catholic Sister ,Ms. Stella Iwuagu working for an NGO ,Mr. Gioranni Germano,the Italian
Ambassador to Nigeria , Mr. Tunde Fagbohungbe, a Special Assistant to Mrs.Titi Atiku
Abubakar, the wife of Nigeria's Vice-President, and Mr. Frank Olize ,a Television
commentor and moderator of the programme.
Eugenia Bonetti,the Roman Catholic Sister who had beeen trying to rehabilitate the girls
was in Nigeria for Conference Against On Trafficking In Human Beings organized by
the wife of Nigeria's Vice-President regretted that thousands of girls from one
particular state out of the 36 states in Nigeria are in Italy suffering
from the hands of European nimps and their brothel "Madams".
She painted a gory picture indicating that these girls have seen red in the red light
districts of Italy adding that if some parents know what their daughters go through they
would not be asking them to remit money home and they would not have
encouraged them to travel to Italy under the cover of syndicates in the first
case.
The Catholic Sister said that she was convinced that these girls are being used as seex
slaves in this modern age to make money for the European Madams who are the head of the
brothels adding that she could not count the number of Nigerian girls that have run mad as
a result of Sex Trade in Italy , pleading with parents not to encourage their daughters to
travel to Italy for the illicit trade.
"Of what use is the money they sent home if they lose their pride .identity.and
future when they run mad?", she queried.
Ms .Stella Iwuagu criticized past Nigerian governments and families for not
giving the girl child any sense of value confirming that there are organizations
that actually recruit innocent girls into Italy for thee sex trade.
According to her, it was lack of information that also prompted many girls to embark on
trips to Italy adding that she was almost recruit some years back while working as a nurse
in Lagos for a "more lucrative" and undisclosed job in Italy. Iwuagu
recalled that she was saved because she was very much inquisitive noting that not many
girls will be able to ask questions that will save them.
Mr. Gioranni Germano, the Italian Ambassador said that Italy became a dangerous sexual
melting pot in Europe as a result of a 1957 Law which legalized brothels and
does not restrict theeir activities as it was done in Germany and other European
towns.
He said that these Italian sex traders first started to organize young girls from Eastern
Europe into the country, shifting to Less Developed countries such as Albania and
later Nigerians.
According to the ambassador,there is need for Italy to review the 1957 Law and put
stringent measures on the operators of brothels.
Some callers on the "Live Programme" wondered why reputable individuals who
actually have genuine reeasons to travel to Italy and other countires were not issued with
travelling visa when thousands of girls who later ended up in brothels found their ways
into Italy. They criticized the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund(IMF)
for introducing bad policied such as the Structural Adjustment Programme whic
devalued the country's currency , her value system and her
"girls".
Mr. Tunde Fagbohungbe said that the Nigeria Vice-President was motivated into taking a
bold step at raising awareness on the issues as a result of the freightening dimension the
trafficking in human beings have now reached.
© Copyright Tunde Akingbade |
