Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Rufina Gurumyen, has raised the alarm over the high rate of child trafficking, especially the girl-child in the state.

She made the disclosure in Jos during the State and non state actors Peace Architecture Dialogue (PAD) monthly meeting organized by Search For Common Ground (SFCG), Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.

Gurumyen said, “This issue of child trafficking, child abuses, most especially domestic violence against children, is so high here in Jos.

“Plateau State was not known for that; we only hear about such in the southern part of the country, but unfortunately it is with us now.

“The local governments prone to these acts are, Jos South, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bassa Local Government Areas.

“The sad aspect is, if you are travelling from Jos to Abuja, especially from Akwanga, just try to find out, who are the girls that are selling along the road, in the beer parlours, up to Zimbabwe (Uke), before you get to Nyanya, most of them are from Plateau State; and you will discover that most of them are between the ages of 13,
14, 15 and 16; by the time they come back, they are already exposed,” she lamented.

“We have been making efforts to curtail this trend, with the assistance of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and other organizations; we have been able to bring some of these Children back from Lagos, Abuja among others.

The Commissioner who was represented by the Director, Child Welfare, Mr. Gwamfa Kannap, said to avoid the cases of baby factory, orphanages under the ministry, laid down procedures must be followed before giving children for adoption.

“When we discover that any orphanage is giving children for adoption without the consent of the Ministry, that orphanage will be close down, and there was one that we closed two years ago.

She further lamented that the major challenge hindering the implementation of the Child Right Act, which has been domesticated in the State since 2005 was lack of political will.

She added that, in its efforts to ensure its implementation, the Ministry had created Child Right Implementation Committees in the 17 LGAs of the State and at the State level.

In her earlier remarks, Programme Manager of Search For Common Ground(SFCG), Hajiya Lantana Abdullahi, said the monthly Peace Architectural Dialogue was aimed at identifying early warning security signals and threats.

 

(Source: DAILY POST)