{"id":783,"date":"2013-06-21T21:06:24","date_gmt":"2013-06-21T21:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/ng\/?p=783"},"modified":"2013-06-21T21:06:24","modified_gmt":"2013-06-21T21:06:24","slug":"2013-trafficking-in-persons-report-jonathan-administration-fight-against-prostitution-financial-crimes-not-good-enough-us-govt-says-nigeria-remains-in-tier-2-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/2013-trafficking-in-persons-report-jonathan-administration-fight-against-prostitution-financial-crimes-not-good-enough-us-govt-says-nigeria-remains-in-tier-2-status\/","title":{"rendered":"2013 Trafficking in Persons Report!  \u2018Jonathan Administration Fight against Prostitution, Financial Crimes not good enough\u2019-US Govt *Says: \u2018Nigeria remains in Tier 2 status\u2019   *Carpets Nigeria for not willing to eradicate Trafficking in Persons  *Confesses: \u201cNAPTIP received a slight higher funding in 2012\u201d *Evidence from American Embassy attached *Explains: \u201cGovt has not met minimum standards set forth in the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as amended (TVPA) to upgrade to Tier 1\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"center\"><i>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Nigerian-Trafficked-ladies.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-784\" alt=\"Nigerian Trafficked-ladies\" src=\"http:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Nigerian-Trafficked-ladies-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/i><b>2013 Trafficking in Persons Report!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><b>\u2018Jonathan Administration Fight against Prostitution, Financial Crimes not good enough\u2019<\/b>&#8211;<b>US Govt<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Says:<\/b><b> \u2018<\/b><b>Nigeria remains in Tier 2 status\u2019\u00a0\u00a0 *Carpets Nigeria for not willing to eradicate Trafficking in Persons<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Confesses:<\/b><b> \u201cNAPTIP received a slight higher funding in 2012\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Evidence from American Embassy attached<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Explains:<\/b><b> <\/b><b>\u201cGovt has not met <\/b><b>minimum standards set forth in the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as amended (TVPA) to upgrade to Tier 1\u201d<\/b><b><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>BY TOLA WILSON\/<i>ANTI-TRAFFICKING REPORTER,<\/i> FLORIDA<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>IT\u2019S been knock, knock and knocking on the administration of Nigeria\u2019s President Goodluck Jonathan as United States Government made no pretense in their expectation of seeing him waging real battle against \u2018cartels\u2019 who trafficked \u2018gullible Nigerians\u2019 into lies of a ready-made-job abroad; only for their victims to turn sex-laborers after they would have made those persons passed through hell. Though the United States Government acknowledged the passive role being played by Jonathan\u2019s administration, their reports state that effort so far introduced by the government is insufficient to eradicate \u2018trafficking in Nigeria\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Making this revelation known in a press statement, the United States Embassy writes Naija Standard that \u201cOn June 19, 2013 U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry released the Department of State&#8217;s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report in a public event in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p><b>Nigeria remains in Tier2 status<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The American reports read: \u201cIn the 2013 TIP Report, Nigeria remained in Tier 2 status because the Government of Nigeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so.\u00a0 The Government of Nigeria slightly increased its efforts to protect trafficking victims during the year.\u00a0 The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) received a slight increase in funding in 2012.\u00a0 NAPTIP made improvements in its anti-TIP efforts over the last reporting period, including a modest increase in anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts and the provision of specialized anti-trafficking training for its officials.\u00a0 NAPTIP\u2019s Public Enlightenment Unit continued to conduct national and local programming through radio and print media in all regions of the country to raise awareness about trafficking, including warning about fraudulent recruitment for jobs abroad.<\/p>\n<p><b>Jonathan not meeting <\/b><b>2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act<\/b><\/p>\n<p>It is important to note, however, that the TIP Report does not simply measure the efforts of NAPTIP as an agency, but rather the Government of Nigeria as whole.\u00a0 Despite the notable efforts of NAPTIP, the government has not yet satisfied all the minimum standards set forth in the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as amended (TVPA) to justify an upgrade to Tier 1.\u00a0 For example, the government has yet to pass draft legislation that would restrict the ability of judges to offer fines in lieu of prison time during sentencing, and the Nigerian Police Force continues to experience difficulty identifying trafficking victims.\u00a0 Additionally, the Ministry of Labor did not make any new efforts to address labor trafficking during the reporting period, despite the identification of a significant number of labor trafficking victims.<\/p>\n<p>The Nigerian government has been urged, among other remedial measures, to ensure NAPTIP receives sufficient funding; to take proactive measures to investigate and prosecute government officials suspected of trafficking-related corruption and complicity in trafficking offenses; and to train police and immigration officials to identify trafficking victims.<\/p>\n<p><b>TIP Report Background<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The report explained that \u201cThe U.S. Congress, through its passage of the TVPA, requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual Report to Congress with the goal of stimulating action and creating global partnerships in the fight against modern-day slavery. \u00a0The U.S. Government follows the TVPA and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (commonly known as the &#8220;Palermo Protocol&#8221;). \u00a0Nigeria signed the Palermo Protocol in 2000.\u00a0 The TVPA and the Palermo Protocol recognize that the crime of human trafficking includes obtaining or maintaining victims\u2019 labor or services (including in the \u201csex industry\u201d) through force, fraud, or coercion, whether overt or through psychological manipulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria, Public Affairs Section,<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>Plot 1075, Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District, Abuja<\/h1>\n<h1>Telephone: 09-461-4000. Website at <i>http:\/\/nigeria.usembassy.gov<\/i><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>2013 U.S. Department of State\u2019s Trafficking In Persons Report Released<\/b><\/p>\n<p>On June 19, 2013 U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry released the Department of State&#8217;s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report in a public event in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>In the 2013 TIP Report, Nigeria remained in Tier 2 status because the Government of Nigeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so.\u00a0 The Government of Nigeria slightly increased its efforts to protect trafficking victims during the year.\u00a0 The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) received a slight increase in funding in 2012.\u00a0 NAPTIP made improvements in its anti-TIP efforts over the last reporting period, including a modest increase in anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts and the provision of specialized anti-trafficking training for its officials.\u00a0 NAPTIP\u2019s Public Enlightenment Unit continued to conduct national and local programming through radio and print media in all regions of the country to raise awareness about trafficking, including warning about fraudulent recruitment for jobs abroad.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to note, however, that the TIP Report does not simply measure the efforts of NAPTIP as an agency, but rather the Government of Nigeria as whole.\u00a0 Despite the notable efforts of NAPTIP, the government has not yet satisfied all the minimum standards set forth in the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as amended (TVPA) to justify an upgrade to Tier 1.\u00a0 For example, the government has yet to pass draft legislation that would restrict the ability of judges to offer fines in lieu of prison time during sentencing, and the Nigerian Police Force continues to experience difficulty identifying trafficking victims.\u00a0 Additionally, the Ministry of Labor did not make any new efforts to address labor trafficking during the reporting period, despite the identification of a significant number of labor trafficking victims.<\/p>\n<p>The Nigerian government has been urged, among other remedial measures, to ensure NAPTIP receives sufficient funding; to take proactive measures to investigate and prosecute government officials suspected of trafficking-related corruption and complicity in trafficking offenses; and to train police and immigration officials to identify trafficking victims.<\/p>\n<p><b>TIP Report Background:<\/b> \u00a0The U.S. Congress, through its passage of the TVPA, requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual Report to Congress with the goal of stimulating action and creating global partnerships in the fight against modern-day slavery. \u00a0The U.S. Government follows the TVPA and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (commonly known as the &#8220;Palermo Protocol&#8221;). \u00a0Nigeria signed the Palermo Protocol in 2000.\u00a0 The TVPA and the Palermo Protocol recognize that the crime of human trafficking includes obtaining or maintaining victims\u2019 labor or services (including in the \u201csex industry\u201d) through force, fraud, or coercion, whether overt or through psychological manipulation.<\/p>\n<p>Countries determined to be a country of origin, transit, or destination for at least two victims of severe forms of trafficking are included in the Report and assigned to one of three tiers. \u00a0Countries assessed as fully complying with the \u201cminimum standards for the elimination of severe forms of trafficking\u201d set forth in the TVPA are classified as Tier 1. \u00a0Countries assessed as not fully complying with the minimum standards, but making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those minimum standards are classified as Tier 2. \u00a0Countries assessed as neither complying with the minimum standards nor making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance are classified as Tier 3.<\/p>\n<p>The report can be read in full at the U.S. Embassy\u2019s website: <a href=\"http:\/\/nigeria.usembassy.gov\/\">http:\/\/nigeria.usembassy.gov<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a02013 Trafficking in Persons Report! \u00a0\u2018Jonathan Administration Fight against Prostitution, Financial Crimes not good enough\u2019&#8211;US Govt Says: \u2018Nigeria remains in Tier 2 status\u2019\u00a0\u00a0 *Carpets Nigeria for not willing to eradicate Trafficking in Persons Confesses: \u201cNAPTIP received a slight higher funding in 2012\u201d Evidence from American Embassy attached Explains: \u201cGovt has not met minimum standards set [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nigeria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}