NASS scores NAPTIP high, promises it of better funding

The National Assembly has promised an improved funding for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in the current fiscal year as part of the plans to enhance the operations of the Agency.

Also, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights, Hon Edward Gyang Pwajok, gave the promise during the budget defence by NAPTIP at the National Assembly.

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, had few months ago while playing host to the Director General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, also expressed satisfaction with the activities of the Agency and promised that the National Assembly would scale up the budgetary allocation to the Agency in order to boost its operations.

Speaking after the submission by the Director of  NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Account, Dr Hassan Ndanusa, the lawmaker, who was impressed with the prudent utilisation of the resources allocated to the Agency in the previous year pointed out that the current funding and fiscal allocation to the Agency was quite inadequate considering the huge work ahead of it.

Hon Pwajok who scored NAPTIP high in the areas of awareness creation, rescue and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking and irregular migration as well as prosecution of traffickers, said NAPTIP as the federal

Government focal Agency for counter trafficking deserves full support of both the government and private sectors, hence the need for a balanced financial stand and adequate funding of its activities.

Earlier during the budget defence, the representative of the Director General of NAPTIP, Dr Hassan Ndanusa had enumerated the achievements of the Agency in the previous year and solicited for better funding in the current year.

The  latest development came barely few hours after similar commendation by the European Union Delegation to Nigeria.

The delegation who received the NAPTIP DG during a courtesy visit on them particularly lauded the Agency for its roles in the ongoing evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Libya and assured the Agency of EU assistance.