Children as victims of insecurity

CHILDREN now seem to be targets of insurgency, banditry, killings, ritual killings and kidnappings that are ravaging the country and this is making it difficult to keep children in schools across the country while parents live in fear of the fate that can befall their children.

The United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in one of its survey results, claims that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of- school children in the world, putting the figure at 13.2 million and out of this, 11 million are in the North where insurgency is at its peak.

This is a clear indication that Nigeria has a serious problem on its hands. Yet, the slogan, children are the leaders of tomorrow, continues to trend on the lips of policymakers and government officials despite the myriad cases of tragedy befalling school children and cutting them short in their early years.

How can our leaders continue to saying children are the future when they know that the likelihood of many children getting education or living to adulthood is becoming slimmer by the day? That statement has become a cliché and there seems to be little hope for children in Nigeria.

Children are now more endangered with the increasing rate of insecurity even in their home. There is absolutely no reason for stakeholders to pay lip service to children’s welfare but take concise steps on what needs to be done to ensure the African child has access to quality public education in a safe atmosphere devoid of threat. Government at all levels must show commitment and concern to the welfare of children.

Arinola Cole,

Lagos.