The House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs on Thursday said that effective partnership of all tiers of government would be instrumental to defeating human trafficking in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (APC-Oyo) in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, urged wives of state governors to join and enhance Nigeria’s fight against human trafficking.
Akande-Shadipe made the call as part of activities marking the 2020 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Akande-Sadipe, expressed worry over the high-level of trafficking, inviting wives of governors to rise against the vices against female in order to end the evil act.
“The best way to eradicate this evil among us is to work in unison; wives of state governors should use their offices to advocate against this act. The traficking agents and their collaborators are not more powerful than those who mean well for the people of this Nation”.
She said, her recent meeting with the wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, yielded positive enthusiasm to combat the vice.
She added that effective collaboration would ensure effective awareness across the states and discourage and educate parents from putting girls on the risk of foreign domestic servitude by agents who end up trafficking them.
“We would ensure that the collaboration focuses on rehabilitation, engaging effective sensitisation, workshops and seminars across communities, schools, churches, mosques markets, and other public places to the remotest parts of our nation”.
The lawmaker called on the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and their counterparts in the states, local government areas and relevant government as well as private agencies to join in the fight to end the menace.
According to her, reports revealed no fewer than 80,000 Nigerians are currently held as sex slaves and in forced labour across the world especially in countries like Lebanon, Mali and the Middle East.
Akande-Sadipe reiterated her commitment to ensuring legislation that would discourage Human Trafficking
