Poverty major cause of human trafficking – PRAWA
Poverty major cause of human trafficking – PRAWA
//Godwin Ekosin, Kaduna//
A Non Governmental Organization, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, (PRAWA) has identified poverty as top root cause responsible for human trafficking.
PRAWA Program officer, Barrister Ogechi Ogu made this known when the group took it advocacy visit to policy makers, Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Shagali and Commissioner, Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Abdulsalam in Kaduna.
Barr. Ogu said poverty has made a lot of people fall prey to human trafficking as they are cajole with peanuts.
According to her, “the poor and less privileged in their quest to improve their living conditions fall easy prey to human traffickers who deceives and exploits them.
“Whether through abduction or fraud, they deceive desperate people whose dream of being freed from poverty is transformed in the worst of nightmares,” she stated.
Barr. Ogu however called on the policy makers in the state to institute and implement livelihood programmes to empower the vulnerable, abused women, youth and children as well as potential victims of human trafficking.
“While we commend existing government policies and programmes on economic empowerment, we humbly request that to prevent human trafficking your government should:
“complement existing economic empowerment programmes for victims and potential victims of human trafficking such as the one being undertaken by PRAWA in partnership with NAPTIP and with the support of the Netherlands embassy.
“Ensure that its policy on economic empowerment gives a special consideration to victims and potential victims of human trafficking,” she stated.
Responding in their different speeches, Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Shagali and Commissioner, Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Abdulsalam expressed readiness to partner with the group in curtailing the ugly menace and reverse the trend of human trafficking in the state.
Earlier, Zonal Commander, Kano office of NAPTIP, Shehu Umar represented by Head of Public Enlightenment, Aliyu Abba Kalli said Kaduna falls under the Kano jurisdiction and it is laising with the state government to embark on mass enlightenment in the state.
Meanwhile, Kaduna is reported to be one among the 5 states (Kano, Anambra, Edo and Ogun) with high prevalence cases of human trafficking.
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