By Isaiah Eka
The National Orientation Agency (NOA), Akwa Ibom Directorate says it is partnering with the Children Re-Orientation, Peace and Development Initiative, a Non Governmental Organisation
to stem the tide on the increasing rate of child theft and trafficking in the State.
The State Director of NOA, Mr Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, said this when he hosted the leadership of Children Re-Orientation, Peace and Development Initiative in Uyo on Tuesday.
Mkpoutom said that the challenge of eradicating child theft, human trafficking and other social vices in our society could not be tackled in isolation.
He urged parents to partner with teachers and the government in the fight against child theft and trafficking in the state.
He said that NOA officers in the 31 Local Government Areas would include the campaign against human trafficking in the current campaign against bad behaviours in the society.
“It requires a collaborative efforts of both the state and non state actors. This will create a comprehensive platform that not only addresses the symptoms of child theft, human trafficking and other related vices,” he said.
The state director said the lead Agency in curbing human trafficking, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) was doing everything possible to curb the menace in the state and country.
Earlier, the Coordinator, Children Re-Orientation, Peace and Development Initiative, Mr Ekemini Udoh said that the rising cases of child theft, trafficking and other related vices in our local communities was alarming.
Udoh said the visit was to seek collaboration with NOA to create awareness on the dangers of child theft and human trafficking, proffer ways of curbing the menace in rural communities of the state.
