JDPCI Seeks Journalists' Support in War Against Human Trafficking
By Lucky Isibor
The Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi (JDPCI), has appealed to journalists in Edo State to assist in creating publicity and galvanise support in the fight against trafficking in persons as enshrined in the faith based organisation's project "Galvanize Action for Effective Trafficking in Persons Response at the LGAs of Edo State”.
The Executive Director of Uromi JDPCI Rev. Fr.Dr. Fidelis Arhedo made the plea at a Social Dialogue Forum with journalists put together by the Localizing Trafficking In Persons Response Cluster (LOTIP-R) under the SCALE Palladium coordinated project titled “Galvanize Action for Effective Trafficking in Persons Response at the LGAs of Edo State”, held at the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ press Centre in Benin City Friday, 17 March.
Father Arhedo while disclosing that the project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aimed at enshrining policy reforms to drive the war against trafficking in persons in the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project, adding that "The project is sponsored by USAID as part of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project with the Goal to 'activate and institutionalize trafficking in persons response at the LGAs of Edo State by 2024 using 3 LGAs (one from each senatorial district as a pilot'.
"This is in line with the SCALE (Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement) objective that deals with countering trafficking in person. This advocacy project is strategically engaging lawmakers, 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.
"The Advocacy tasks also involves the Activation of the Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund & Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund Committees as stipulated under sections 67 and 68 of the Edo TIP Law 2018 to empower victims of human trafficking and address the inadequate service provision for survivors of human trafficking in Nigeria. This advocacy project seeks to see an increase in budgetary allocation for the Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking (ETAHT). This is to improve the provision of protection, reintegration, and rehabilitation services to survivors of human trafficking in Edo State".
While seeking the collaboration of journalists in publicising the activities of the cluster, the JDPCI Executive Director said, "The Cluster recognizes the enormous role that the media can play in creating publicity and galvanizing community of supporters on the Cluster’s Advocacy issues and drawing policy makers and the government to take actions towards the realization of what the project seeks to achieve.
" Hence, we are all gathered here today for this Social Dialogue Forum designed to strategically engage and involve Journalists on the Cluster Advocacy work and build synergy with Journalists to support and amplify the Clusters’ Advocacy campaign and draw attention of Policy Makers and the Government to the Advocacy issues using your various platforms for speedy attainment of the advocacy objectives.
"We are also using this Forum to enlighten Journalists to have more understanding of the advocacy issues raised by the Cluster so that they can be our mouth piece on what we are doing and our engagements so far. Most importantly, this dialogue session this morning gear towards how Journalists can work collectively with us, the Cluster using both mainstream and online media to publicize and highlight the Clusters’ advocacy work, its importance in countering human trafficking and draw attention of policy makers to the issues thereby contributing their quota in creating meaningful change towards countering human trafficking in Edo State in line with Journalism cardinal principles of passion for truth, social responsibility".
The chairman of the Edo State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Festus Alenkhe assured the cluster that the media will continue to enlighten the public on the evils associated with human trafficking.
In his remarks, the Benin Zonal Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP, Nduka Nwanene (Esq), appealed to Uromi JDPCI to explore the possibility of training Journalists in the act of reporting issues of human trafficking because of the technicalities involved in cases of trafficking in persons.
"We want to appeal that within the framework of the project, if it is possible to also train journalists on ways of reporting issues of human trafficking. Its very important, though we know that human trafficking is also human rights violation, but sometimes when you see some of the cases that come up here and there, if media personnel are not trained, reporting it pose some challenges", Nwanene appealed.
Also speaking, the secretary of Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking (ETAHT), Itohan Okungbowa (Esq) enumerated some of the actions taken by the Edo State government like the establishment of the task force, the passage of the Edo State Trafficking in Persons Law 2018 which have removed the state from the red flag states.
The "Galvanize Action for Effective Trafficking in Persons Response at the LGAs of Edo State” project is an advocacy project being implemented by a Cluster of Civil Society Organisations in Edo State, anchored by Uromi Justice Development Peace and Caritas Initiatives with members including Josemaria Escriva Foundation (JOSEF), Girls Power Initiative (GPI), Ideal Development and Resource Centre (IDRC), Willi Johnson Foundation (WJF), Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) Auchi and Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking (ETAHT).
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