By Etim Epimah
The National Association of Seadogs has donated a library to
the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for the use
of rescued victims of human trafficking.
The Zonal Coordinator of NAPTIP, Mr. Nwachukwu Innocent,
said in Uyo on Friday that the facility would enable the rescued victims to
acquire knowledge.
He said, “The action, which is part of a community
development initiative has no doubt confirmed to us that you, the Seadogs, are
worthy ally in our anti-trafficking efforts.
“These children, in
most cases, are victims of human trafficking, child abuse, child labour, or
vulnerable to be trafficked by traffickers. Thye need all the help they can
get.”
The Captain, NAS, Prince Ifeanyi Onochie, said the project
had been in the works after the 3rd NAS Charity Red Ball held in Uyo in July
2013.
He added that the project was initiated under the theme,
‘Give a Future to Disadvantaged Children: the Play and Read Initiative’.
He said, “The objective of the initiative is to set up
Creative Play Rooms and ICT-LRRs (ICT/Library/Reading Rooms) for orphanages and
Street Child NGOs in Nigeria under our NAS Street Child Project.
“This followed from the 3rd NAS Charity Red Ball and 8th
Ralph Opara Lecture and based on the organisational perspective that education
empowers people and is a veritable solution for improving the lot of
disadvantaged children: an idea completely in sync with one of the cardinal
principles of the National Association of Seadogs (3rd Compass Point) – For
Humanistic Ideals.
“Since 1952, our founders, including the Nobel Laureate,
Prof. Wole Soyinka, and other members, through the years, have continuously
focused the attention of the Pyrates Confraternity towards the attainment of a
just society.”
Onochie stated that the organisation was shocked when it
learnt of 2012 figure of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
He noted that the statistics from UNESCO and UNICEF showed
that Nigeria accounted for 10.5 million of the 61 million out of school
children worldwide.
He added that 40 per cent of Nigerian schoolchildren between
the age brackets of six and 11 years were out of primary school and added that
another 30 per cent were dropouts, while only 54 per cent transit to junior
secondary school.
He said, “These worrisome data stirred up emotions and
pertinent questions: where are these out of school or dropout children located?
Why are they not in school? How are they engaging themselves to stay busy?
Could they be out in the streets being exploited, abused and vulnerable to
criminality?
“No doubt, it is clear that poverty remains the underpinning
factor of the plight of our children and their education.”
Culled from The Punch
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