NGO laments lack of protection, parental care for Children
...Says In the State of Osun, A Child Value Less Than Handset
A non-governmental group, The National Council of Child Rights Advocates, Nigeria (NACCRAN), Osun State Chapter, has lamented that a child value less than an handset in the State as the care and parentage of children is very low and poor.
The group State coordinator, Pastor Leye Adefioye stated this during an advocacy visit to Press men in Osogbo, the State Capital on Tuesday.
Pastor Adefioye said the State government has failed to educate and sensitize children on their rightful positions especially on the availability of Child Rights Law which comprises Right to Survival, dignity of the child, parental care, protection and maintenance, among others.
Citing the case of the undergraduate of UNIOSUN who was sold by a cab driver to an herbalist and murdered gruesomely last year, Adefioye urged the government and other major stakeholders to raise up to the challenge of Child Rights ignorance.
His words," This advocacy visit is to sensitize members of the public especially all stakeholders on the urgent need to rise up and give Osun State children their rightful position in the scheme of things and events in Nigeria and world all over as to what their rights are.
"The problems include poor parenting, ignorance on the part of the children, failure of government and agencies of government including schools to give adequate publicity to Child Right Law (CRL) as well as government insincerity of the implementation of the Child Right Law to crown it.
"We thereby call on the government and other stakeholders to ensure solutions as provided to the following challenges: Parents allowing poverty and penury to militate against the right upbringing of their children or wards. Ignorance of what to do and no parenting skills, over commitment to work, social life or church career driven father and mother, setting bad examples for children and allowing them to keep bad friends.
"The failure of government to educate and sensitize the public which include teachers, parents, caregivers, law enforcement agents and the child on the availability of Child Rights Law and to let all stakeholders know that everything or anything done should be in the best interest of the child.
"We call for the application of chapter (iv) of Nigeria 1999 constitution etc such as: Right to survival and development, Right to name, Right to freedom from discrimination, Right to parental care, protection and maintenance, Prohibition of female genital mutilation, Prohibition of exploitative labour among others."
Pastor Adefioye also urged politicians, teachers, religious leaders, security forces, law enforcement agencies and all well meaning Nigerians to join the group in the fight for the protection of Nigeria Child especially in Osun State.