By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen has promised to work in synergy with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in order to mitigate all forms of violence against women and children.
The Minister made the promise when the Director General of NAPTIP, Hajiya Iman Sulaiman-Ibrahim led a number of the agency’s senior management staff on a solidarity visit to the Ministry of Women Affairs on Monday, February 1, 2021, a statement by the Director Press, Shehu Maikai, disclosed.
The Minister said the visit of the NAPTIP’s DG is the first official visit she will receive since her assumption of office this year, and since her self-isolation as a result of COVID-19 affliction.
She revealed that the Ministry has developed a very robust working strategy aimed at ameliorating hardship experienced by women and children, and called on the authorities of NAPTIP to cash-in on the experience garnered by her Ministry over the years to achieve its mandate.
In the area of human trafficking, the Minister said women and children are worse hit,stressing that if NAPTIP and the ministry work together, both organizations would be in a better working position to checkmate all incidences of women trafficking, prostitution and child labour.
Dame Pauline Tallen said the outbreak of Coronavirus has increased the incidences of incest and child molestation by parents in the country, and called on parents to exercise restrain and stop abominable behaviors.
Earlier, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim disclosed that her visit was to solicit for a good working relationship with the Ministry of Women Affairs, adding that the mandate of her organization is to develop and execute programmes against all forms of human trafficking and female abuse.
“You will agree with me that the articles of trade in human trafficking are women and children. It is therefore important for my organization to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Women Affairs so that together we shall succeed”, she said.
The DG enumerated some areas that NAPTIP and the Ministry of Women Affairs could collaborate to include; economic empowerment programs for women and children; and training of personnel and advocacy visits.
For her part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ambassador Anthonia Ekpa promised to set up a Committee made-up of staff of the Ministry and those from NAPTIP to develop strategies and modalities for the two organizations, to enable them achieve much for women and children.
