By Chikaodili Obinwa :
The Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje has advocated for the adoption of multiple strategies in the ongoing effort to eradicate human trafficking, child abuse, fake job appointments abroad and other social vices bedeviling the state.
Prof. Ifemeje made this assertion during a meeting with members of the State Task-force on Human Trafficking at the State Secretariat Awka.
The commissioner who is also the chairman of the state Task-force said that the fight against human trafficking is a flagship project of the present administration in the state.
She added that there is need for intensive enlightenment of the people through Radio jingles so that the rural dwellers would not fall prey to the antics of traffickers since the down-trodden in the society are usually victims of the evil act.
The Attorney-General announced that she would formally submit the 2022-2023 Anambra State Task-force on human trafficking work plan to the state Executive Council for approval as it would go a long way in giving legal backing to the activities of the Task-force.
In her speech, the Anambra State Commander, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs.Judith Ibadin said that the work-plan of the Task-force is a working official document that guides the operations of the stakeholders and the fight against Human trafficking in Anambra State.
Mrs. Ibadin who is also the Co-Chairman of the state Task-force expressed regret that the life of an average child in the state is being threatened by traffickers.
She added that Anambra State is rated very high in the area of recruitment of young girls for prostitution in foreign countries, harvesting of organs, illegal migration, selling of babies and regular defilement of under aged girls by relatives.
The State Commander NAPTIP identified some of the causes of this societal ill to include poverty, broken homes and the desire for quick money.
She called for commitment among the Task-force members, stressing that the training of stakeholders would sharpen their skills in the fight against Human Trafficking and other ills.
The State Task-force was inaugurated in 2020 with stakeholders drawn from the ministry of Justice, the media, Women Affairs Ministry, Security Agencies and Paramilitary Organizations which also include Non-Governmental Organizations.
