Edo inaugurates family court, to prosecute violators of child rights

Those who violate the rights of children by engaging them in street trading and hawking will now be prosecuted in Edo State as the state government has inaugurated family court to handle matters relating to the violation of child rights.

Governor Godwin Obaseki made the declaration in Benin, when he received in audience, members of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Edo State Chapter, led by its Chairman, Prince Roy Oribhabor.

He said the law must be enabled to function properly so that justice could be served on issues of child rights violation, adding that members of the society must be willing to offer information on violation of child rights.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, the governor decried the activities of street traders and hawkers in Benin City for converting walkways and other public places to emergency market places.

The governor decried their illegal and unlawful actions that had defaced the once beautified environment, warning that parents/guardians who sent their children/wards to hawk would be apprehended and prosecuted.

He, however, solicited the collaboration of the group and other stakeholders with a view to sensitizing the citizenry towards nipping in the bud the menace of street trading, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and environmental pollution.

In the area of job creation, the governor affirmed his administration’s commitment to harness the massive agricultural potentials of the state to create the promised over 200,000 jobs within the next four years.

He also disclosed that the government planned to establish industrial parks across the state with the development of the Gelegele sea Port as a priority.

He added that it was the target of Edo State Government to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive in order to stimulate the tempo of socio-economic development of the state.

Earlier in an address, the chairman, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Prince Roy Oribhabor, commended Governor Obaseki for banning all forms of revenue collection by private agents.