A former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, has identified poverty, the hunger for quick affluence and lack of accountable government as reasons for the worrisome increase in cases of human trafficking, drug abuse and Gender based violence in the country.
Dr. Chris Ekiyor, who made this known on Monday in Yenagoa during the the maiden edition of Association of Women Against Gender Based Violence (AWAGBV) Teenage Summit with the theme ” Raising Teenage Ambassadors against Human Traffickers and propagators of domestic violence”, said lot of desperation among this young ones to find a part way to quick living by wanting to travel abroad at the risk of their lives and get involved in drug abuse, prostitution, drug trafficking has spiked the dangerous living in the society.
Chris Ekiyor, who hold P.hD in Public Health and served as a former Patani local government council, however called on women groups and female politicians to consistently served as mentor to the girl and boy child and shape their mind against social vices that will destroy their future.
According to him, “We all know that in Africa, been a woman put you in the disadvantage position, your parents want you to get married and the society and that brings about circumventing the potential of the girl child”
“So am happy to know that women are rising up to the challenge by mentoring young ones to compete with their fellow men and preparing them for the position of authority in government and the society.”
“However, there are a lot of desperation among this young one to find a part way to quick living by wanting to travel abroad at the risk of their lives, they also get involved in drug abuse, prostitution, drug trafficking, human trafficking and this are promoted by people of influence, people with resources , people at the helm of power by providing them substance of abuse by making them to believe that they can better their lives by indulging in them.”
“Society is failing this generation, whatever professional you are today, everybody want to leave the country because of the system we find ourselves. Government and society are no longer accountable to the people and many are beginning to think in that direction. People will promised them a good life abroad and they will just jump into the boat.”
“You can see that the Morocco and Burkina Faso axis are death traps, most of the young people mind are not articulate the challenge of the society.They see greener pastures in decision they take.Nobody can make you look inferior without your consent, I have seen rich people children becoming a begger and poor people children becoming great in life by doing the right thing.”
“The society is corrupt, the politicians are corrupt but a time will come that people will be looking for truth, respectable, integrity people in the society and you can do it . As a woman, don’t under estimate yourself , don’t destroy yourself and the society by the choices you make. Don’t say it’s too late, it’s not about how far, but how well,” he said.
The head of Public Enlightenment for the State command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP),Mr. Wariebi Sambo, while reading the key note address from the former Director-General of the Agency, Dame Julie Okah-Donli,noted that for human trafficking to take place, there must be three basic elements, the act, the means and the purpose.
According to him, “The act is the recruitment stage where someone comes to the neighborhood with an enticing word, flashy cars, looking for a prey, that is the recruitment stage coming to people with convincing word”.
He said second aspect of it is the means which is by deception and for what purpose? We also have internal and external traffickers .
Traffickers are not written in the face, it could be anybody, that is why NAPTIP is telling the people to speak up when they see the Red Flag.”
” When somebody comes to you to say I want to take you abroad but say to you don’t tell anybody, is a red flag. And because of this African believe that virtually everybody is a witch so that they will not disrupt the movement is a trick used by traffickers, they tell the victims to take an oath which we called control mechanism. When you see all this things, the best thing is to report that is why NAPTIP is there for you”.
In her welcome address, the President of the Association of Women Against Gender Based Violence (AWAGBV) Barr Dise ogbise Goddy Harry said, Gender Based violence, human trafficking and drug abuse has become a threat to human existence and dangerous to the safety of the society if it is not urgently nip in the bud.
She pointed out that summit organised by the group AWAGBV, is to further create awareness against issues of gender based violence, human trafficking and drug abuse, “we are here to hear from professionals who knows there business in human trafficking, the business of gender based violence with wonderful panelists to deal with the issues on how we can chart a way forward”.
“The issues of human trafficking is thriving all over the world.The summit is to look at the challenges, why is it thriving all over the world . We advice our youths and the young ones to look out for the red flag that is why we have gathered together the Association of Women Against Gender Based Violence and other Women NGOs to deliberate on this dangerous menace and how to it bring to the bearest minimum.”
“At the end of the event, we hope to build a safe space, in fact we will be laying the foundation for survival of the victims of gender based violence . It is our desire that at the end of the event there will be wide publicity why we need to speak up against gender based violence and cases of human trafficking and drugs abuse so that at end of this event you will see stronger and more united women.”
“The Association of Women Against Gender Based Violence is not just about women, it is about women handling the issues of boys and girls child. It is an all encompassing conversation”, she said.