NGO Flags-Off Campaign Against Child Theft, Trafficking In A’Ibom

By Abasi-Akan Emmanuel
UYO
A Non-Governmental Organization,known as “Children Re-orientation Peace and Development Initiative, has formerly flagged off its campaign against Child Theft and Trafficking in the state.
The coordinator of the Organization, Mr. Ekemini Robert, who performed the ceremony in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital at the weekend, with the theme, “Our Children, Our Future, Our Collective Responsibility”, said the campaign would be conducted in public primary and secondary schools as well as in Churches for awareness creation against child trafficking in the state.
Robert declared the willingness of his organisation to ensure that the right of the Akwa Ibom children are protected and for the general public to know that it was their collective responsibility to save the future of our children and the state against trafficking in persons.
The organisation, he said, has the passion of raising Godly children for the future to be saved and protected against human trafficking by ungodly people in the society.
Robert, who painted an ugly picture of how his child was forcefully taken out of Akwa Ibom to Abia but for divine intervention, regained freedom, advising parents to always show concern for their children against being theft or trafficked for financial gains.
While condemning the menace of human trafficking in the state, Robert promised to produce stickers, jingles for airing on electronic media and the production of flyers for distribution to the public as part of their campaign against human trafficking.
He emphasised the need for parents and children to report people suspected to be child thieves and traffickers to law enforcement agents for arrest and prosecution, noting that the campaign in schools and churches would be for massive awareness creation against the menace of trafficking in persons.
Robert enlisted the cooperation of stakeholders such as media professionals, social media handlers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and teachers to team up with his organization in the war against human trafficking in the state.
He thanked Governor Umo Eno for being children friendly through the yearly payment of WACE fees for senior decondary school students and for giving priority attention to education, emphasizing the need for the enforcement of Child Rights Law by the law enforcement Agent.
The coordinator said his organization was established on 21st September 2018 initially as Dakkada Future Rescue Team to ensure the reduction of child theft and human trafficking to the barest minimum in the society.
Chairman of the planning committee, Dr. James Asuquo, said the function was organized to send dangerous signals to child thieves and human traffickers that Akwa Ibom State is unsafe for them to operate.
Asuquo declared their collective resolve to partner relevant security agencies and appropriate authorities to get rid of child theft and human trafficking in the state.
  The special event was attended by coordinators from the 31 local government areas of the state including Pastor Jeremiah Ezekiel, Idongesit  Effiong, Comrade Patrick Hanson Edem, Mr Abasiekeme Smith among others.