The State Commander, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Ondo State Command, Mr. Waheed Adegboyega Taiwo, has said that his agency owes Nigerians adequate information about the illegality people commit on trafficking.
The state commander made the assertion when he led the team of NAPTIP management to pay a courtesy call on the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Kuburat Omowumi Bakare, in her office.
Taiwo who said that the agency which was established in 2003 and had the law establishing it repealed and replaced with an Act in 2005 was principally aimed to adopt effective measures to protect and eradicate trafficking in persons and related offences.
According to the NAPTIP helmsman in Ondo State, the agency adopted 5P’s which he espoused as the Principle of Policy, Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnership to address the unhealthy challenge of trafficking in persons.
He said the agency was in the NYSC Secretariat to seek partnership with the scheme by way of sensitising graduate youths on the inherent dangers of trafficking in its various forms.
He said that his mission was to collaborate with NYSC so that the agency would have a platform during the orientation courses to address the corps members, who in turn would escalate the objectives and functions of NAPTIP to the society through advocacy visits to public places and religious worship centres to address parents and other stakeholders on the ills of engaging in human trafficking.
Taiwo promised to ensure that the collaboration work effectively for the benefit of the two organisations.
He added that the NYSC remained an indispensable agency that commanded the respect of the good people of Nigeria.
Responding, the NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Kuburat Omowumi Bakare, thanked the agency for the call, which she said was long overdue.
The state coordinator declared that NYSC would continue to partner with reputable organisations and agencies that aligned with the objectives of the scheme and the vision of its founding fathers.
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“NYSC is known globally as a useful and potent avenue to mould and mentor the graduate youths of this country into responsible and compassionate leaders of tomorrow. Your visit is not misplaced, and I want to assure you that we shall support your aspirations and render necessary assistance.”
Bakare, while charging the state commander of NAPTIP to encourage his agency to facilitate the process of partnership from their headquarters with the NYSC Directorate Headquarters declared that her administration was ready and willing to invest in any laudable programme that will advance youth development and posit them as a point of reference in the society.
The NYSC Ondo State boss admonished NAPTIP to set the machinery in motion because according to her, the sad stories of youths travelling outside the shores of this country in search of greener pastures result in daily groaning under the yoke of trafficking with majority of them unaware that they are being recruited for slave labour.
The administrator promised to escalate the visit to the NYSC field officers so that the scheme will remain in the vanguard of reducing trafficking in persons in the society.
The state commander was accompanied by Assistant Director/Head, Intelligence, Mr. Francis Ariyo; Head, Public Enlightenment, Mrs. Funmi Agbejoye and Head, Counselling and Rehabilitation, Mrs. Racheal Ijanusi.
