A coalition of child-focused non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the platform of the Child Protection Network (CPN) has decried the decision of the Oyo State government to convert the Trans Amusement Park, Bodija, Ibadan, to a housing estate.
The CPN, led by its coordinator, Mrs Oluwatoyin Ogedengbe, expressed its reservations about the government’s decision during a rally at the State Secretariat in Ibadan.
Addressing journalists, Ogedengbe said the NGOs were worried that the decision deprived the generality of children of their rights to leisure and recreation.
Noting that Trans Amusement Park, over the years, was renowned as a facility that provided a place for leisure and recreation, Ogedengbe said depriving children of their rights was a setback for sustainable development.
She also noted that the park had hitherto filled gaps in recreational facilities in schools across the state, stressing that the plan to enhance revenues should not be detrimental to child development.
The CPN coordinator said the argument for relocating the park to the issue of traffic bottlenecks could be addressed by competent architects and town planners.
She argued that the proposed residential estate should rather be taken to Ilutuntun Business District, Akinyele local government area of the state, to facilitate urbanisation and enhance the infrastructural development of the area.
Speaking further, Ogedengbe bemoaned the gross abuse and violation of the rights of children in homes, neighbourhoods, schools, religious places, and public places, as well as their exposure to a number of harmful and discriminatory practices rooted in tradition, such as female genital mutilation (FGM).
To this end, the CPN demanded a Child Protection Policy, a Child Protection Budget, and full implementation and enforcement of the articles of the Child’s Rights Law of Oyo State 2006 through the establishment of Child’s Protection Clubs in all schools in Oyo State to further complement the work of the Family Court.
Pointing to the fact that abuses are on children from poor, underserved families in urban and rural settings, the coalition of NGOs also noted the need for a coherent social protection system that will address the root causes of violence and abuse on children.
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