The unseen Chains

It is impossible for most independent countries today to tell the story of their past and not mention the word slavery, or slave trade, my country, Nigeria, is also not left out. Watching this era portrayed by our movie industry breaks the heart. No matter how strong-hearted you are, watching how human lives meant no meaning and were always sold in exchange for money or other valuable items is unimaginable, yet it happened.

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Today, we chose a specific day to celebrate independence and the end of the slave trade era, and are thankful we didn't witness those days, but are we truly free, even though slave trading is now considered illegal by the law, sadly, we still slavery in some ways in broad day light, some are even guarded by the law, the reason I refer to this act as modernized slavery, Some of which i will be highlighting in this post.

Starting with the act of public service, it is only in Nigeria that public servants have class, the low-income earners, who can barely survive with the meagre salary they earn because the cost of living keeps increasing, but their salary remains the same. and these are the workers that hold major aspects of the country's core, for instance in the education and healthcare system, worst still, the law doesn't permit them to have side hustles, yet, they can't meet up their needs, and this is the very reason most public servants acts like demon, and are so unhappy, because of how frustrated they are, they don't even show commitment to their jobs and often behave like they are forced to work, because truly, they are living the life of modernized slavery.

Not forgetting human trafficking, in a bid to escape the harsh reality of the country, our youths are lured to other countries with the promise of greener pastures, only for them to end up becoming victims of prostitution and drug dealers, putting their lives at risk, with no way out, because once they arrive on the other side, their passport and other travel documents are confiscated, from one slavery to another.

Another form of slavery experienced in my country, especially in the northern part of the country, is forced marriage. In the name of early marriage, children are forced into a marriage they are psychologically not ready for. These same children become mothers to children who will still end up like their mum, and the cycle of slavery continues.

So many other acts of slavery are being carried out that I cannot even mention all, factory and some other company workers working overtime and not being paid the worth of the services and hour spent working, worst still, there is no HMO or other compensations, these company owners take advantage of these workers because they can, and have no justice brought upon them, so it keep happening.

I believe the fight against modern slavery requires our collective effort. Governments, businesses, law enforcement agencies, organizations, and individuals, we must all work together to identify and address the root causes of modern slavery, protect victims, and hold all perpetrators accountable. By working together, we can create a world where everyone has the opportunity to live a life of freedom, dignity, and respect.