Anambra Assembly Passes Trafficking In Persons, Enforcement and Administration Bill into Law
By Anastasia Agunwa/ Chizoba Okeke/Gloria Abugu
The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed into law a Bill prohibiting Trafficking In Persons, enforced and administered measures against trafficking and for related matters on the floor of the State Legislature.
The passage followed the report of the Joint House Committee on Judiciary and Committee on Women and Social Welfare on Trafficking In Persons(Prohibition), Enforcement and Administration Bill, 2024, presented by the House Committee Chairman on Judiciary, Mr. Patrick Okafor, considered clause by clause at the 'Joint Committee of the Whole' by the entire lawmakers before its third reading and final passage into Law during plenary on January 30.
The Law seeks to provide an effective, comprehensive legal and institutional framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution and punishment of human trafficking in Anambra State.
It also seeks to protect victims of Human Trafficking as well as promote and facilitate international co-operation in order to meet the objectives set out in the law.
The Law shall come into force on February 29, 2024.
The Speaker of the House, Mr. Somtochukwu Udeze who presided over the plenary had moved for the adoption of the considered report while the lawmakers unanimously adopted it through voice votes.
Speaking in an interview shortly after the plenary, the House Committee Chairman on Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Nkechi Ogbuefi called for a collected responsibility by all so as to stop trafficking in persons in the State.
Ogbuefi who is the Deputy Minority Whip of the House, advised Ndi Anambra that the ignorance of the law is not an excuse, "we know that when we talk about this trafficking cases, it is usually girl-child that are victims of this heinous act."
The House Committee Chairman on Women and Social Welfare, who represents Anaocha I constiuency said, "trafficking involves a lot of crime, both gender-based trafficking, sexual assaults, molestation, others.
"This law is going to be a deterrent to the offenders and collaborators in this violence against children, against women, including the men are victims.
"This is a great warning to all the perpetrators and violators of this menace that is ravaging our society, because everybody knows the violation rate of this law", she posited.
*Anastasia, Chizoba and Gloria are of the State Ministry of Information, Anambra State.
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