‘Human Trafficking, Modern Day Slavery’

Reverend Sister Mary Joseph Balogun of the Religious Sisters of Charity of the Catholic Church of Port Harcourt Diocese, has called on government at all levels and leaders in positions of trust to intensify the fight against human trafficking in the country.

Reverend Sister Mary Balogun who stated this while delivering a paper titled “Human Trafficking as Modern Day Slavery in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects” at Holy Rosary College, Port Harcourt as part of efforts to create awareness on the vice identified desperation, ambition, discontentment and ignorance as the root causes of human trafficking as against the conventional belief of poverty and culture.

She observed that the vice did not exist in isolation as it involved relatives and other people known to the victims.

According to her, the industry was worth over five trillion naira world wide and the number of slaves remained as high as 12 to 27 million, expressing dismay that Nigeria had been named among the eight countries considered the highest in human trafficking in the world by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes.

The cleric advised the public to always remain focused, content with what they had and avoid frivolous offers abroad, emphasising the need to promote enlightenment on the ills of the scourge, and further called for concerted efforts to fight the crime against humanity.

In her remarks, the Principal of the College, Mrs. Veronica Efika described the event as apt as it afforded both the teachers and students the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the vice and prepare against it, enjoining the students to always be of good behaviour and desist from all activities that negate the will of God.

Also speaking, the Chaplain of the College, Reverend Father Kelvin lIe said the programme was essential as the Catholic Church also frowns against the vice which he noted was  a violation of human rights.

Reverend Father Ile urged the students to be ambassadors in the fight against the scourge, thanking Reverend Sister Mary Joseph Balogun for the thought- provoking lecture which he observed had added to the knowledge of both the teachers and students of the college.

Speaking in an interview, Miss Cynthia Onyeanuna and Miss Balafama Banigo, students of the College expressed happiness with the lecture coming at a time the level of human trafficking was alarming.

The duo called on President Jonathan to do all things within his reach to eradicate the vice, urging members of the society to always resist certain promises from members of the public which were suspicious.

Meanwhile, many parents commended the organisers of the lecture and the Chaplain of the school and the Religious Sisters of Charity for a job well done