By Austin Ogwuda
PLANS are underway by the Delta State government to partner with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP to train girls in Secondary schools on how to prevent being lured by traffickers, deploying the usual antics.
Similarly, the State Government has entered into a partnership with Junior Achievers of Nigeria, with the aim to assist and empower survivors of trafficking in the State.
The State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services, and Girl Child Development, Miss Orode Uduaghan disclosed this while receiving members of the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Delta State Council on a courtesy visit to her office on Thursday in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.
According to her, “My ministry is going to partner with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP to train girls in Senior Secondary levels SS1, SS2 and SS3, on measures to prevent trafficking and common antics deployed by traffickers to lure their victims.
“This organization is coming to Delta State to partner with Secondary Schools to teach girls who are in SS2, SS3 entrepreneurial skills. His Excellency (Governor Sheriff Oborevwori) just recently approved that, so that is going to be happening in all the trenty five local government areas of the State”.
Also on Girl-Child Development Initiatives, the Commissioner announced that the state government had approved a program to train girls in the twenty five local government areas between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five on digital literacy, entrepreneurship skills and business management to become self-sustaining individuals.
She observed that in the last year, the ministry in partnership with Entrepreneurship Development Center had empowered two hundred and fifty persons in each of the twenty five local government areas, where one thousand seven hundred outstanding participants were given grants of a hundred and fifty thousand naira each, to set up their businesses.
On the humanitarian agenda of the ministry, Miss Orode Uduaghan pointed that under the M.O.R.E Grant Scheme focused on business holders from poor and vulnerable households, the government had provided between seventy thousand naira and a hundred thousand naira, to one thousand six hundred petty traders to encourage their businesses.
“One thousand eight hundred and twenty six artisans engaged in various works also received support under the M.O.R.E Grant Scheme executed by her ministry.
“We had about thirty professions, we are talking about people who repair bicycles, to people who repair fridge etc. His Excellency (Gov Oborevwori) supported one thousand eight hundred and twenty six of them”.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Chapel, Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye emphasized the role of journalists as the watchdog of society, duty bound to hold the government accountable.
He assured the Commissioner of the preparedness of members of the Chapel to give adequate publicity to the activities of her ministry as well as the entire MORE agenda of the governor Sherrif Oborevwori’s administration.
