Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo state

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has restated his administration’s commitment to deal with the cabal promoting human trafficking within and outside the state.

Obaseki stated this when he gave his closing remarks at a workshop on Human Trafficking organised by his government.

The Workshop had the theme: “Human Trafficking – Plight, Plan and The Way Forward”.

The governor said human trafficking had taken a worrisome dimension and it is destroying the image of the state.

He said statistics made available to him showed that out of 37,000 African migrants that travelled to Italy last year, 15,000 of them are from Nigeria and majority of them are from Edo and Delta states.

He said that his administration would not relent in using its political will to domesticate a law and also work with relevant security agencies to fight those behind the illicit act.

Obaseki said the state was ready to partner with traditional and religious leaders as well as Federal and international agencies to curb the trafficking.

He added that his administration would provide better means of livelihood for the victims as well as re-integrate them into Edo communities by ensuring their enrolment in the Edo Government employment scheme.

Some of the participants who presented their recommendations at the end of the workshop, called on the Federal government to extend the whistleblowing to human trafficking.

They said that such policy will help expose the cabal and the promoters of the human trafficking scourge that had eaten deep into the fabric of the state and nation. (NAN)

Le Pen’s niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, on Thursday told L’Opinion daily that a 40 percent score would already be “a huge victory” for the National Front.

Whoever wins will spell a new chapter in French politics.

The major left-wing and right-wing parties — the Socialist Party and The Republicans — that have ruled France for decades both suffered humiliating defeats in the election’s first round.

The campaign was hit by yet another surprise on Friday night just before the quiet period which forbids politicians from commenting started.

Macron’s team said a massive hack had dumped emails, documents and campaign-financing information online.

Pollsters will publish initial estimates at 8 pm (1800 GMT), once all polling stations are closed.

More than 50,000 police officers will be on duty. Security will be a prime concern in the wake of a series of militant attacks in Paris, Nice and elsewhere in the past few years that have killed more than 230 people. (Reuters/NAN)