By Praise Chinecherem
Developers of educational curriculum in the country have been urged to incorporate trafficking in persons into the school curriculum.
This is to keep children of school age adequately abreast of the antics and techniques of the traffickers and to encourage them to join the fight against the monster.
Stakeholders made the call in Awka, Anambra State capital, at a one day engagement for policymakers on expansion and adoption of trafficking in persons and unsafe migration organized by a Non-governmental organization, Women Aid Collective, WACOL.
The project is the third intervention after similar programme held in Edo and Delta state and is expected to be scaled up to other states of the federation.
In a paper presentation, the Commander, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Mrs Ibadin Judith-chukwu, identified Anambra as a source, transit and destination state for human trafficking stressing the need for greater awareness among the vulnerable.
Represented by a member of the State Task Force against Human Trafficking, Mrs Eucharia Anekwe, Judith-chukwu listed prominent human trafficking cases in the area as: illegal adoption, baby factories, irregular migration, domestic servitude, alms begging, child labour, sexual exploitation, child prostitution, and egg/sperm poaching.
“It’s better our children know all these about trafficking in persons from school. We must catch them young. This will help to reduce the incident in the future. So, adding TIP to the existing curriculum is a noble idea,” she said
The Director Programmes, WACOL, Mrs Dorothy Oleka, revealed that the projects is being executed in three pilot local government areas of Ogbaru, Onitsha South and idemili North which among others are vulnerable to the crime.
Human trafficking has escalated in the country especially with the Japa syndrome. There is this urge to leave the country at all cost growing each day especially in our youths.
“A lot of traffickers are cashing in on the vulnerability of the youths to trap them. Our founder, Prof. Joy Ezilo, has been a UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking especially women and children between 2008 and 2014 during when she saw the sufferings and plights of Nigerians in various countries.
“That informed her decision to venture into this area of work to engage policy makers in Anambra State for them to allow schools to teach our children trafficking in persons in Civic Education so that from school age they begin to understand the tricks of traffickers”.
The event featured a brainstorming session during which participants assessed topics intended to be added to the curriculum.
Some of them including the Director, National Orientation Agency, Sir Joseph Uchedu, pledged their support towards ensuring that trafficking in persons is taught in schools.
“I will detail my Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers, COMOs to add this to the list of issues they handle across schools in Anambra State”, Uchendu assured.
