Uromi JDPCI Lauches Hashtags for Campaign Against Human Trafficking

The Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiatives, Uromi Diocese Thursday, 7 September launched advocay campaign hashtags for the  "Galvanize Action for Effective Trafficking in Persons Response at the LGAs of Edo State" project being implemented by the "Localizing Trafficking in Persons Response cluster", in the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement, SCALE programme.

The ceremony which was held at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre is part of activities outlined by the Faith Based Organization to sensitise the people on the ills and dangers of human trafficking in the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Engagement, (SCALE) project being sponsored  by USAID and implemented by Palladium in conjunction with Uromi JDPCI with seven other cluster members including Josemaria Escriva Foundation, JOSEF, Girls Power Initiative, (GPI); Ideal Development and Resource Centre, (IDRC); Justice Development and Peace Commission, (JDPC) Auchi Diocese and Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking, (ETAHT).

In his opening remarks, the Executive Director, Uromi JDPCI, Rev. Fr. (Dr) Fidelis Arhedo pointed out that the  advocay is aimed at engaging the Executive Governor of the state, the law makers, Local Government Area structures and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure the review of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law 2018, establishment of victims of trafficking trust fund; victims of trafficking in persons trust fund committee, creation of trafficking in persons response units at the various Local Government Areas in Edo State, upgrading the task force on human trafficking to a commission and Increased budgetary allocation for the anti-human trafficking commission. 

"This advocacy project is strategically engaging law makers, the Executive Governor, LGA structures and relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure the legislative review of the Edo State Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law 2018 to make provision for the creation of  Trafficking in Persons TIP response units at the various Local Government Areas in Edo State. 

"It is argued that most recruitment by human traffickers is conducted at the community levels with the the Local Government Areas. It is therefore imperative to have an institutionalized structure at the LGAs to aid an effective response to human trafficking to have a preventative rather than a reactionary approach to the prevention of human trafficking in Edo State. It will also help to improve local ownership, coordination and sustainability of anti-human trafficking interventions in Edo State, enhance the availability, collation and analysis of data on human trafficking for informed and strategic decision making."

Congratulating the Localizing Trafficking in Persons Response Cluster and other stakeholders,  Mr. Eric Momoh who represented Palladium noted that Edo State has been a leading light in the fight against human trafficking and appealed to all stakeholders to join hands with the cluster to use the hashtags to give visibility to the programme to enhance local response to human trafficking. 

While enumerating the aim of the SCALE project, Momoh pointed out that Palladium is working with several local organisations with a view to building their capacities to push for policy reforms in different sectors including human trafficking, good governance, anti-corruption and issues around sexual and gender based violence.

"We are supporting clusters to demand for accountablility. We are building the capacities of local organisations to push for reforms in different sectors and one of the sectors is trafficking in persons", he said.

In her remarks, the Secretary, Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking, (ETAHT) Itohan Okungbowa (Esq) said that Governor Obaseki is very passionate about the fight against human trafficking stating that's why he set up ETAHT and backed it up with law.  

She emphasised that  ETAHT is undergoing transformation adding that there is a draft bill  to amend the existing legal framework for the task force to become a commission.

In his good will message at the occasion, the Edo State Zonal Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nduka Nwanene (Esq) noted that trafficking in persons is an issue that affects the entire society regretting that organ harvesting is the latest challenge now posed by the menance. 

While stating that all hands must be on deck in the fight against trafficking in persons and that NAPTIP cannot do it alone, Nwanene disclosed that trafficking in persons within the country has become more challenging as over 70% of cases of human trafficking are done within, from one state to other and from one local government area to the other.

High point of the occasion was the launching of the hashtags which include #localizeTIPResponse, #EmpowerTIPVictims, #FundETAHT among other social media handles for the advocay campaign.