DANIEL DAUDA, Jos
No fewer than 20 child trafficked victims from Bassa local government area of Plateau State were repatriated by the local government council administration recently, Daily Champion reports.
The milestone achievement was as a result collaboration between the Plateau State gender and equal opportunities commission and the council’s social services department, according to the council chairman, Dr. Joshua Sunday Riti.
Findings revealed that Bassa local government is third on the ranking of local governments with high incidence of child trafficking in Plateau.
Dr. Riti who spoke to newsmen at the council secretariat in Bassa on Tuesday confirmed that majority of the victims repatriated from Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt and other southern states could not speak their mother tongue fluently.
“From where we picked the victims we discovered that they changed their identity and they can’t speak their mother tongue fluently. We invested a lot of resources to ensure their repatriation. We will not rest in our own oars towards ending this ugly trend.”
Highlighting some tremendous milestone recorded within one year in office under the “Rebuilding Bassa Project” mantra, Riti expressed dismay that the local government, which was created in 1976, consisting of three chiefdoms and about 15 ethnic groups overtime had suffered incessant attacks, which hamper meaningful development.
“Our people have been attacked and massacred. But when we came on board October 9th, 2024, they keyed into rebost peace advocacy together with security agents and other critical stakeholders. We were able to engage diverse groups advocating for peace, and by the grace of God Almighty, the incessant attacks has drastically reduced.
“We have recorded developmental strides cutting across the primary healthcare system, education, electricity as well as infrastructural development, aiming to bring the dividends of democracy to Bassa people.
“Even though we’re not there yet, I can assure you this is a tip of the iceberg as we continue working in meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the people”, he stated.
The chairman further confirmed that very soon they will constitute a taskforce committee on education,which will be moving from house to house and community to community within the locality to tackle the issue of out-of-school children.
He also said they will set a machinery in place to be check mating under age mining activity nothing that, ” any child below 18 years coat participating in mining activity especially during school hours such child will be arrested alongside parent or guardian.”
The chairman who attributes the successes recorded to synergy and collaboration between the executive and legislative arm in the council, appeal for more support to his administration and Governor Caleb Mutfwang in the state.
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