‘No to Human Trafficking’: NACTAL holds sensitisation programme in Lafiagi
By: Nurudeen Akewushola and Akewushola Afeez
The Network against Child Trafficking Abuse and Labour has implored the people of Lafiagi to say no to Human Trafficking and Child Labour during a sensitization program at the Emir Palace, headquarters of Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The event which was organized by NACTAL, funded by the European Union, supported by FIIAP (a Spanish Government foundation based in Nigeria), and A-TIPSOM(Action Against Trafficking In-Person and Smuggling of Migrants) project is a community awareness and sensitization program aimed to sensitize women leaders, community leaders, opinion leaders, road transportation workers on the ills and dangers of Human Trafficking.
Oyedeji Olufemi, the state coordinator for Network of Civil Society against Child Trafficking Abuse and Labour (NACTAL). NACTAL, speaking during the event said the essence of the program is to support the government of Nigeria to reduce Human Trafficking in the country.
Olufemi said, “You will know that in Kwara State, we have seen a pattern of human Trafficking because the state is a gateway between Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria. And in the corridor of Kwara to Southwest, you will see a lot of movement and through this route, women, girls are being Trafficked. Even within the state, we have seen an influx of Trafficking escalating particularly young girls, children, women are being Trafficked for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, even force prostitution and this cannot continue.
“Human Trafficking in any form is a gross violation of human rights, so whoever that is involved in human Trafficking if caught by the law enforcement agents, the full weight of the law will come on that person. The person’s property will be confiscated, the proceeds from that will be used to support the victims in terms of rehabilitation, empowerment, and reintegration of such individuals who are survivors back into the society.”
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Afusat Ibrahim stated the reason why they have chosen Edu Local Government Area especially Lafiagi among others.
While addressing the women, she said, “We chose Edu local government in Kwara North because it is one of the places with the prevalence of human trafficking in the society. We are most grateful to FIIAP for their intervention. We are here to sensitize people on the menace of Human Trafficking. The sensitization is to step down awareness on human trafficking to the grassroots level in order to put an end to the menace of Human Trafficking.”
She further pointed out some of the hazards of Human Trafficking and the need to curb them.
“There are many hazards in Human Trafficking. When we sent our children out of home, have we bothered ourselves about where they are sleeping? In this era where ritualists are all over the place. The physical one we know is to kill them, there are ones that are silent. Then why are we now exposing our children to this kind of risk?
“Even in the olden days, our parents did not teach us like this rather they used to take us to the farm. They did not send us out for slavery. Most of these girls, they beat them, enslave them, and most of them that are taken out of the country, they use them as sex-machine. So, why are we exposing our children to this kind of risk when our parents did not raise us like this?
“We are begging you all to desist from child trafficking rather our children should be sent to school and that is why the Executive Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has sent us here,” she expressed.
According to the Emir of Lafiagi, who was ably represented by Alhaji Sanni Lukman, expressed his sincere appreciation to the organizers of the sensitization program.
He said, “We are very happy today that you are in our community to sensitize us on human trafficking. It is true that what we are facing here in our community as far as our children are concerned. Some of them will go out and look for some things that will enable them to get married. Some will go to Ibadan, Lagos, and so on.
“There was a period that some children were caught in Abuja some times in the past, they are from some parts of Lafiagi and since then our royal father has been trying as much as possible to sensitize our people. With regards to that and since the incident occurred, awareness has started coming to Lafiagi and gender equality came in.
“Among the progress that we have been able to make; Lafiagi has got its first female professor and recently we get another one and by that we have been trying to stop them from taking their children to those places. And we are very happy to have you here and we hope that you come here from time to time to sensitize our people.”
In her part, the Makili Maata of Lafiagi(women leader), Hajia Fatty Kadiri also stressed the need why it is necessary to enlighten the public against child trafficking.
“We have people from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and some NGOs coming to enlighten the public against child trafficking and we believe it is a necessary thing because in this part of our society, people believe it is when they go out in need of money that’s when they could be something. But we started realizing that is no gain in it. It’s better our people are at home, go to school and learn some artisan works so that they can be useful to themselves.
“And that one is paying off, we have many of them now, after completing their NCE, and there is no job but because they were able to learn carpentry, welding, and some other things from the College of Education, they were able to establish themselves and they are doing fine. Secondly, we want to commend the government for doing this type of program. The governor has done well for bringing people to the grassroots to explain to the people and this type of enlightenment helps to eradicate some of the pitfalls of child trafficking in society.
“My message to our people is that they should continue to stop child trafficking, we should allow our children to go to school. The Emir made me ‘Makili Maata’ because I have gone to school. I have a master’s degree. If haven’t gone to school, maybe he wouldn’t have appointed me, he wouldn’t have called me now to come and speak with you.
“Education is very vital for your own social being, for your own social living, and for the bringing up of your children. This is the message we are telling them that child trafficking should be stopped. It is already getting reduced not as before, some few people complain about unemployment, yes! The government can’t take care of everybody and that’s why we are encouraging people to go to school, learn artisan work and by the time you are waiting for government, you will be practicing your artisan job and when the government job comes, it becomes two for you,” she emphasized.
Joseph Sanwo, Senior Project Officer, ATIPSON project advised the government to continue to encourage partners in order to be able to fund and support the project and also to continue to raise advocates who will go from village to village to sensitize the people.
Sanwo thanked the emir of Lafiagi for hosting them. “Lafiagi is under Edu Local Government Area and is one of the transit points for trafficking within Kwara State. Kwara State is a source and destination as well as transit state, so it is important that we descend here and sensitize these people and we are very happy that the entire Lafiagi people are here to listen to us,” he said.
