…takes advocacy to schools, rural communities in Delta

The twin evil practices of human trafficking and irregular migration among youths and minors are common today in Nigeria and African continent has brought many  untold hardship and degrading of integrity and disrepute to the black race.

The project officer, International Center for migration policy development (ICMPD), Ijeoma David Ukoko has revealed that irregular migration for greener pastures can lead to undesirable experiences and may end up turning into human trafficking.

The above donor agency with headquarters at Vienna Austria deemed it necessary to conduct an awareness workshop for principals and management of secondary schools in Delta state recently. Speaking in Asaba  the state capital capital, the project officer explained that the importance of the STEAP sensitization workshop is one of the joint project Targeted on the schools where children and parents could be reached in discussions and regular interactions.

She said ICMPD has organizational mandate to control and reduce these, illegal, irregular or undocumented migration among youths, minors, and adults. The under aged persons who are always easy preys to the trafficking cartels by promising them heaven and earth before taking them away to foreign lands where they will take advantage of them.

The project officer emphasized the essence of the workshop to include training the trainer so as to expand the advocacy to as far as the people can be reached. She said that participants are expected to help the schools and the community to prevent every act of human trafficking  and irregular migration by teaching this body of knowledge in civics or social studies.

“The mission is to make this agenda or mindset to be sustainable so that the present generation will not make the same mistakes their parents made and to teach the students how to protect themselves and when to resist by simply saying no.

“This generation must must be informed that it’s not always greener in other people’s lands as they were being told. Schools should influence the mindset of the learners and parents teachers Associations and their nearest communities.”

According to Ijeoma Ukoko, “ICMPD works with or in conjunction with NAPTIP, a federal agency that is working against illegal irregular migrations, Ministries of Women affairs Justice and Youth Development. “Very soon we shall be launching a new platform called “School Vanguard” which will bring the advocacy to doors of the grassroots. We work in alignment with government existing laws and provide sponsorships to Non government organizations that have similar ideologies.

“This organization frowns against human trafficking, Child labour or abuse, and irregular migration. We are happy that Nigeria have existing laws prohibiting these vices because of the stringent penalties have been put in place to serve as deterrent for intending offenders. 

“The Ministry of Interior is aware that we are carrying out these advocacy in Delta, Edo, Ogun, Enugu and other states of Nigeria based on the existing statistics. Going forward we wish to regularly engage stakeholders by training and monitoring and assessment of imparts of our efforts on the target audience. “Finally, we have skill acquisition platform, making interested persons useful, rehabilitating rescued victims or returnees and creating vibrant livelihood for willing persons.”