June 9, 2021
Mohamed Rado Swarray Minister of Information and Communications
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
On behalf of the President, the Minister of Information and Communications Mohamed Rado Swarray has yesterday, launched a book on legal labor migration entitled “Deadly work or Decent work” written by Dr. H.E REV. A.K Ocansey. The book is aimed at cautioning African Leaders to ensure that Never again should African Citizens be Subjected to slave-alike work condition anywhere in the world.
During the launch of the book at the New Brookfield’s Hotel in Freetown, Minister Swarray intimated that the country had had several horrible stories and horrendous treatments of illegal Sierra Leonean migrants in Lebanon and other places in the Middle East which precipitated the initial ban on illegal migration by the government in order to prevent such inhumane treatment Sierra Leoneans were faced with in the course of their illegal sojourn. He also recalled that even when the president went on a private visit to Lebanon, he said the president found time to rescue Sierra Leoneans who were illegally transported and stranded to Lebanon and repatriated them to Sierra Leone.
Rado Swarray also shared his personal experience with illegal migrants who were incepted in the Middle East and sent to Ghana where they were provided with medical kits and accommodation until they were finally repatriated to Sierra Leone. He furthered that president Bio being very compassionate about the welfare about wellbeing of Sierra Leoneans, he said the president critically and logically evaluated the review of the ban on the legal labor migration presented by the Minister of Labor and Social Security at cabinet meeting before it was approved by the president.
“ even when the president went on a private visit to Lebanon, a visit that was almost problematized by some section of Sierra Leoneans, a visit that was almost scandalized by some section of Sierra Leonean public, he found time to rescue Sierra Leoneans who were stranded their, who have been transported their courtesy of illegal migration”, he said.
He continued that looking at the opportunities around the illegal labor migration, government now met at cabinet level, reviewed the ban on illegal migration, and eventually lifted the ban for only legal labor migration which will now earned Sierra Leoneans a legitimate opportunity to legally migrate in search of greener pastures and opportunities in order to better themselves and their families and also contribute to national development. He disclosed that President Bio has been labelled as a champion for many things including champion for Human Capital Development and now he (president Bio) is now a champion of legal labor migration.
He further asserted that they were very excited as government for the launch of the “Decent Work” agreement which has key components ranging from employment creation, right at work and social protection for legal labor migrants. Minister Swarray congratulated the Minister of Labor and Social Security Hon. Alpha Timbo for getting the ban on legal labor migration lifted adding that, Sierra Leoneans have been curiously waiting for the ban on legal labor migration to be lifted. He concluded that instead of potential Sierra Leonean candidates paying monies to fake travel agents for a travel to hell, he said the country will now have a situation wherein, potential employers or companies will now pay all the expenses including flight tickets free for any legal migrants opting to seek greener pastures overseas.