NGOs take campaign on child abuse, desert migration to schools
By Nnamdi Ojiego
Patriotic Citizen Initiatives, PCI, in conjunction with Martha Ihekoromadu Foundation, MIF, has taken campaign against child labour, human trafficking, and desert migration to schools.
According to the NGOs, the aim was to create awareness and sensitize the school children about the dangers of such evil acts and the antics of supposedly benefactors who come in various guises to deceive them and their parents in order to take them away.
Speaking on the topic, “From Slave Trade to Self Trade and the Antics of Human Trafickers”at the Lagos State Model Junior Secondary School, Kankon Badagry, the President and Founder of PCI, Comrade Osita Osemene, said although slave trade has been abolished years ago, the desire to survive has forced many youths into what he called self trade.
According to him, self trade include voluntary offer of oneself to the act of prostitution, child labour, touting, street begging among other degrading and mean works capable of destroying one’s future.
“Engaging yourself in self trade can destroy your future and your self worth. Don’t allow your parents to pressurize you into self trade because, some parents lure their wards into self trade so that these children can provide for them. As a youth, it is your parents duty to cater for your need and not you catering for them”, he explained.
Also speaking, the director of MIF, Mr Charles Onwunali said that the event was an awareness/ sensitization programme to encourage the students to remain focus on their education pursuit.
He stated that Badagry was chosen as a starting point because it was the last point of the slave trade, which was regarded as the point of no return. “ Once you are in Badagry, you are shipped out of the country. So, a lot of people use this route to traffic people till date because, it is very close to the border”, he disclosed while warning them to be wary of those who come to paint unrealistic picture of a better life outside Nigeria. He also advised the students to be serious with their studies.
In his response, the Head of Department, Science, Mr Jacob Oke who represented the principal of the school, commended the organisers for the programme and for choosing his school as starting point, and said the workshop has confirmed what he has been hearing about human trafficking and other related crimes, and promised that they would continue to spread the message among their friends and family members.
Reacting, Master Michael Oluwatoloba and Miss Tolu Osinaike both in JSS 3 described the event as educative and interesting. According to them, they have learn how to be satisfied with what they have and how they can protect themselves from traffickers, and be serious with their studies.
