Plateau state Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Monday, said his administration would go tough on those engaged in child trafficking of children from the state.
Governor Mutfwang made the statement at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),with a non-governmental organization, Both Ends Believing (BEB), aimed at curbing child trafficking in the state.
Represented by the state Commissioner of Women Affairs, Caroline Panglang Dafur, Mutfwang said with the signing of MoU, they could track down and know the number of our children in the orphanages.
“We would prosecute anyone who is discovered to be involved in child trafficking in any of the state’s 17 Local Government Areas.
” A lot of our children are being taken out of the state. There is a cartel in Plateau State that links up with parents to traffic children to other parts of the country, which we will not tolerate.
“As a government, we will continue to educate our people on the need for them to train their children,” he said
Gov Mutfwang also restated his administration’s commitment to prioritising the rights, welfare, education, security, and safety of children in the state.
“We are focused on protecting the rights of every child and making sure children of school age have access to high quality basic education, which will inspire them to express their creativity in science, technology, art, and music, and make their voices heard in the society.
“Children are an essential part of our society. Without them, there will not be a transition to a greater tomorrow,” Mutfwang said.
President of Both Ends Believing (BEB), Mr Bruce Graham, lauded the state government for its desire to better the lives of vulnerable children in the state.
“Our goal is for children to be integrated into safe and loving families for children.
We work to create digital profiles of children living in institutions around the world,” he said.
President of the Association of Orphanages and Homes operators in Nigeria, Rev Dr Gabriel Oyedeji, said the signing of the MoU by the Plateau state government and Both Ends Believing (BEB) was the beginning of a new dawn.
