New Rotary President for Akonwojo
By Andrew Airahuobhor
Monday, November 12, 2007
Tony Awe, an assistant general manager at Newswatch has been crowned new president of Rotary International of Akowonjo District 9110
Convivial! This word aptly describes the atmosphere that prevailed at the Ikeja Airport Hotel during the investiture of Tony Awe, assistant general manager of Newswatch Communications Limited, as the 22nd president of Rotary International, RI, of Akowonjo, district 9110, November 3. Rotary International members and guests were enthralled by the banters and healthy social interaction that prevailed at by the event. There was so much to eat and drink amidst soul refreshing music from the Nigeria Police Band. Eminent personalities from various walks of life were on hand to honour Awe. Among them were Ray Ekpu, chief executive officer of Newswatch, Femi Olanipekun, president of Lagos Country Club; Soji Akinrinade, deputy editor-in-chief of Newswatch, Carol Ndaguba, director general, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
"I wasn't surprised he was invested as president," said Olanipekun, adding that "There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to perform, he is a man of action." According to him, Awe means so many good things to many people, particularly Lagos Country Club.
Larry E. Ettah, group managing director of UAC, also extolled the virtues of Awe. In a letter he sent to Awe, Ettah said of him: "Given your antecedents, this feat has not come to us as a surprise. It is no doubt as a result of your selfless service to mankind."
True. Rotary International stands for service to humanity. The theme of the 2007 Rotary year is 'Rotary Shares' which talks about sharing to make the world a better place for mankind.
As a Rotarian whose journey to the organisation started sometime in 1992, Awe has fully inculcated the principles of the RI. This was reflected in his star project. He proposed to build a block of six classrooms in Akowonjo primary school in Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State. Already, the architectural design and bill of quantity has been completed. He told Newswatch that "we are reaching out to our friends in the public and private sector for support. Awe's presidency will also engage in adult literacy programme; HIV/AIDS awareness campaign and traffic control around Akowonjo/ Dopemu axis which is always problematic.
Ndaguba presented the guest lecture titled-"Child Trafficking and Nation Building: The Way Forward." The occasion provided Ndaguba the opportunity to survey the phenomenon of child trafficking in contemporary times. She also examined the effects of child trafficking on nation building in Nigeria and suggested way forward on the issue in contemporary Nigeria. The lecture x-rayed the response of the Nigerian government and authorities to the inhuman scourge of trafficking in persons while suggesting that young people should play a role in the efforts to combat and eradicate the crime from society.
According to Ndaguba, Nigeria is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking. Statistics on human trafficking in Nigeria shows how gross and endemic trafficking in persons has become in Nigeria. The International Labour Organisation, ILO, estimates that 15 million children are involved in child labour in Nigeria and about 40 percent of them are trafficked. Ninety-two percent of trafficked victims were between 10-18 years of age.
The continuous decimation of a country's youthful population portends danger in the future. This is because the youth that would have formed the working population and human capital of that country have all been incapacitated by the cankerworm of human trafficking. "The celebrated case of the 67 containerised children from Edati in Niger State who were rescued, rehabilitated and re-established in their community by NAPTIP provides a good example," Ndaguba said.
She explained that the cost of rescuing, rehabilitating and re-integrating a victim of human trafficking was astronomical, thus money that would have been channelled into capital development projects was instead used to rehabilitate persons who may never contribute effectively to the economic development of their societies.
The trafficking in persons (prohibition) law enforcement and administration act 2003 gave birth to NAPTIP as an all-embracing agency of government to enforce the trafficking in person's law. This law made NAPTIP the focal point in Nigeria for trafficking in persons issues.
Awe, thereafter inducted Ndaguba as an honorary member of RI.
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