Former Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State wife, Eki Igbinedion has revealed her ordeal in fighting human trafficking since her days as First Lady of Edo State.

“I am aware of what is going on but I will not be intimidated. I believe the dignity of the Edo woman is greater than becoming the First Lady of Edo State. Some people have been abusing me saying I am venturing into a dangerous terrain; that I want to remove food from the table of families by asking them to bring their trafficked girls back home”

” It is the cartel that I am fighting; they are using our girls as slave sex. They are exploited every day, many are dying of different diseases and I have said this rubbish must stop. What these people are doing is a crime against God and humanity. Unfortunately the families are only looking at the material gains; they don’t look at the dangers associated with human trafficking¨

“I established Idia Renaissance to carter for the needs of some of the girls from Edo repatriated from Italy.  Idia Renaissance has trained thousands of Edo women sent back home or returned voluntarily from Italy and other parts of Europe in different skills and many of them are self-reliant today”

“Recently, 635 students, who just completed their programmes, graduated from the centre.  This event is not a jamboree or a social gathering of friends. I call it a celebration of womanhood and a commitment to ensure that children, youths and women are empowered and are given the opportunity to develop their potentials and excel in their chosen trade.”

¨Idia Renaissance was set up to fight social ills as prevalent in the society including human trafficking, prostitution, cultism and illegal migration. The centre also prepares the youths for the challenges of the future by empowering them with skills to tackle the problem of poverty occasioned by unemployment and lack of creativity for self-reliance”

“For some of you who may not know, the prompting of Idia Renaissance in 1999 was to respond to a social ill and major crisis which seeks to tear down the values that we have culturally that protects our most precious, that is the woman, and causes her to be looked down as worthless in a century where women are enjoying unlimited freedom, taking advantage their natural potentials, skills and of course education to compete favourably and even ride above their male counterparts in all spheres of life”

. “Idia Renaissance came at a time many thought fighting a vice as serious as human trafficking and prostitution that debases the woman was something almost near impossible because some felt the ill had eaten deep into the moral fabric of the society”

“This idea was often orchestrated by human traffickers and those who were benefiting directly or indirectly from the smuggling and trafficking of our women, creating the false impression that it was the easiest way out of poverty. Today, the traditional and social media is awash with ugly videos and photos in the Middle East, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea involving our youths and women which can only be best imagined”

.” The desperation to travel abroad has led to persons who ordinarily had good jobs and businesses to close shop, sell off their equipment/items and head to unknown destinations, thereby becoming victims of abuse, exploitation and even death. faced fire when I was battling these people. I call them evil people because their job is to destroy our girls”

“I commend Governor Obaseki for acknowledging that human trafficking and illegal migration is a big social problem in our state and the efforts so far made to address the problem. Know it that there will be negative criticisms and even threats like we also experienced during our time in government but posterity will vindicate your good intentions”

“Idia Renaissance is willing to partner government to end the trafficking of our youths. We are proud of the success stories of the young girls and women, vulnerable young boys and men who, through our programmes, have become role models and ambassadors of the campaign against human trafficking, prostitution and illegal migration”

“If you saw the girls who recently returned from Libya, you would have heard their stories of exploitation and how they were sold by sponsors. This is what i was crying about then, that it will get worse if we didn’t check them. I saw a situation whereby parents were selling their land and cars to send their girls abroad illegally”

. “I said we must stop the madness but what i saw then many people did not see it. And only God saved me then, because He knew I was fighting a good cause, from the evil machinations of the human traffickers I was campaigning against. And that is why i am advising Governor Obaseki not to be intimidated”

. “These evil people will threaten him and he will face different challenges but he must remain focused and determined to win this war¨. The graduating trainees are testimony to my doggedness in the fight against human trafficking”

“The girls are our pride and encouragement that we can have a society where our young girls and women can shun human trafficking and other social vices and determine to make the best out of their lives from the skills they have acquired”

. “I must also appreciate His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare 11 of Benin. I can never forget the support and encouragement i received then from Oba Erediauwa in the fight against human trafficking when he publicly condemned, in strong terms, the practice, the role of traditional priests in the illicit trade and went ahead to make some donations to the organization in support of the campaign. I pray that someday we will be able to send the perpetrators of human trafficking to jail¨.