Recently Oman, an Arabic-speaking country of about 2.9million population has been in the news for the wrong reasons.
It started with little white and black posters advertising ‘high-paying jobs’ for Nigerians in the country and other Arabic-speaking countries. Some of the advertisers of such jobs, known as “agents later moved onto the internet luring more and more people.
So far, the tales from Nigerians who have been to Oman to hustle have not been pleasant ones. In fact, those who have experienced it would give you a million reasons not to venture to the country to hustle.
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Here are five of them that we know already.
1. Oman has a history of showing little respect for human rights. Several stories about the ill-treatment of migrant workers have also emanated from the country which operates absolute monarchy.
2.Even though the country abolished slavery in 1970, the 2014 Global Slavery Index placed Oman at number 45 because 26,000 people were still in slavery in the country at that time.
3. In Oman, work conditions for migrant workers are extreme in return for very meager pay. Migrant domestic workers work close to 20 hours in a day in return for OR 30 to OR60 (N28,000 to 56,000), a lion share of which would be shared with “agents” for several months before the migrants gains “freedom”. Many of the migrants, usually female are constantly sexually abused.
4. The legal system in Oman is not like that of Nigeria. The nation has no system of checks and balances in its legal system as all powers are concentrated in the Sultan.
5. Many who have been to the country have given there have not-so-good stories to tell about the place. The internet is replete with examples.
