NAPTIP BOSS AND CHIEF OF DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE

NAPTIP, NOA partner to curb human trafficking.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Wednesday signed a partnership agreement to curb human trafficking.
The Executive Secretary of NAPTIP, Mrs Beatrice Jadi-Agba, who paid a visit to the Agency in Abuja, said that the move was necessary to forestall the high rate of trafficking in the country. 
She said that for NAPTIP to effectively address the scourge of trafficking, it was necessary to involve NOA to apply the strategy in educating and informing Nigerians.
Jadi-Agba said that trafficking was having a devastating effect on the country, hence the need to partner with NOA to sensitise and enlighten the public on the danger of trafficking.
The Executive Secretary said that NAPTIP was designing a communication strategy which would help it fight the menace, adding that the role of NOA was strategic to the fight.
``NOA has much to do for NAPTIP because of its spread and strength of its officers across the country that can help NAPTIP prosecute the job, NOA must be engaged to tackle the menace.
``We want NOA officers to come on board, we are willing to provide material and training that will equip them for the job because this trafficking must be brought to the barest minimum.’’  
She said that NOA was needed to drive the message against trafficking because of its role of creating awareness.
She added that something massive must be done to engage Nigerians in the crusade against human trafficking.
The Director General of NOA, Mr Mike Omeri said that the agency was responsible to the country and would be willing to partner with any organisation or government agencies to move it forward.
He said that NOA was mobilising and sensitising Nigerians to understand the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan and would not hesitate to work with anybody concerned with transformation.
``Right now, I am directing all the State Directors to include issues of NAPTIP in their campaign against human trafficking,’’ Omeri said.
He reminded the Executive Secretary of NAPTIP that NOA staff would need the requisite training to know what the issues were.
Omeri called on Nigerians to resist trafficking, saying that trafficking amounted to slavery, saying that it was time for Nigerians to start thinking of how the country would make progress.
He promised to convey the message to the community in the language they best understood.
He said that NOA was training people in community theatre and it would be used as part of the communication strategy.