Trafficking: Activist seeks domestication of Child’s Right Act

 A Delta State based activist and Founder of PHEW Foundation International, Mrs Uche Chigbo, on Monday in Warri canvassed for the full enforcement and domestication of the Child’s Right Act in the country saying that this will go a long way to checkmate human trafficking.

Addressing journalists, Chigbo maintained that the development would help to achieve the protection rights of the child against abuse and exploitations in the society.

It will be recalled that about 11 States in the country had yet to domesticate the CRA that was adopted by the Federal Government in 2003 to guarantee the rights of the children.

While noting that children were more vulnerable and at risk of being trafficked and used for child labor, domestic servitude and and other forms of exploitations, Chigbo said, “in order to reduce or completely eradicate child trafficking, government need to enforce the Child’s Right Act to protect the children against exploitations”.

She spoke further, “The victims of child trafficking are between the ages of 11 and 18.

“Government should adopt poverty eradication strategies by way of creating employment to engage the youth and adults to eliminate poverty.

“There is also the need to intensify sensitisation of both children and parents on the need to live within their limits,” she said.

The NGO founder said that child trafficking had a negative impact on the economy noting that the victims were denied the right to education or skill acquisitions”.

She, however, remarked that trafficking was on the decrease in the country due to the establishment of government intervention agencies like the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and others.

“Child trafficking is decreasing due to the intervention of several NGOs and government agencies.

“But a lot still needs to be done in the aspect of funding and creating an enabling environment for them to operate,” she said.