RESIDENTS OF ABAKALIKI CALL FOR MORE SUPPORT TO CURTAIL CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse has remained a recurring global menace over the yearswith adverse effects on the victims.

This is why Nigeria in 2003 domesticated the convention on the rights of the child by signing into Law, Child Rights Act.

The aim is to checkmate flagrant violation of the rights of children and horrific physical abuse some of them suffer in the hands of their supposed care givers.

Despite prevailing laws prohibiting and molestation against children in Nigeria, some children in Ebonyi and other states are said to suffer one form of abuse or another from parents and caregivers.

Recently, a 13 year old girl from Benue State was sexually abused by a 61 year-old lecturer and his son, a situation which resulted in her death.

As the world marks Universal Children’s Day, which focuses on the protection of children’s rights, Radio Nigeria takes a look at some of these rights vis-à-vis the culture of the people in Ebonyi State.

Our correspondent Amarachi Odo speaks with some children in Abakaliki, one of them simply gives her name as Amarchi

Amarachi is a 12 year old girl, who usually hangs around the ever busy Water works Road Roundabout in Abakaliki the capital of Ebonyi State.

From morning till evening, she runs after vehicles on traffic to beg for alms and supports her virtually impaired mother to feed her five younger siblings.

According to Amarachi, she started begging at the age of five and never attended school to acquire any formal education.

There are so many girls like Amarachi in other South Eastern States, who are being exploited in one way or the other by their parents or care givers in spite of the provisions of the Child Rights Act.

For instance, part three of the Act specifically provides for prohibition of using children for the purpose of hawking or begging for alms, prohibition of child marriage and betrothal, child trafficking and exploitative labour.

A Human Right Lawyer, Mr. Chimere Nwaugo explaines that while the Child Rights Act is all encompassing in addressing the issue of abuses and neglect of children, its holistic implementation is being impeded by societal and economic factors.

Head of Department, Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Ebonyi State, Mr. Godwin Igwe says though there are no statistics on abuses and neglect, the State Government is doing its best to protect children.

On what the Ebonyi State Government is doing to put to an end the issue of child betrothal, which is an age long tradition in some clans in the state, Mr. Igwe emphasises that it requires accurate birth record.

To further address the issue of child’s right, Ebonyi State Government introduced free and compulsory basic education for children and also enacted Violence AgainstPersons Prohibition (VAP) Law to take care of other forms of abuses.

An expert in women rights advocacy, Mrs. Marceline Ibina noted VAP Law was enacted to further strengthen certain provisions in the child rights law.

Mrs. Ibina called on all stakeholders to join hands to ensure that violations of child’s rights were reduced to the barest minimum.

The theme of the 2018 World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse is “the role of parents and adults in preventing abuse and violence against children.”

AMECHI ODO