JDPC publishes manual to tackle abuse of minors, vulnerable adults

THE Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, has launched a training manual to enlighten stakeholders on how to tackle the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults in Oyo and Osun states.

In his opening remarks during the launching, the Director of JDPC, Ibadan, Reverend Father Jerome Ajakaiye, said the issue of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults “is already becoming rampant in the society, and JDPC’s intervention by training stakeholders and publishing a manual, will help reduce the trend.”

Reverend Father Ajakaiye said: “It is pertinent we continue to emphasise the importance of children to our future and the need for them to be well formed in all areas of human endeavours, so they are prepared for their roles in the future of our country.

“However, children in Oyo and Osun states, as in many other places in the country, and the world at large, are fast becoming one of the most vulnerable groups. While safety of children is central to their formation, many of them are being deprived the right to freedom from exploitation and difficult circumstances.

“It is common in Oyo, and elsewhere, to see children daily abused and violated by people they have so trusted, including parents, guardians, school teachers, care givers, among others.

“Going by our over 16 years of experience in upholding the rights of children, we have discovered that people who should defend the rights of children are the ones abusing them and it is based on this fact that we have conducted a training workshop to build the capacity of child handlers and also produce a training manual for stakeholders to develop the skills needed to keep children and vulnerable adults safe from all forms of abuse.”

While also speaking, Reverend Father Joseph Kehinde Idowu, who represented Most Reverend Gabriel Leke Abegunrin, the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan, commended the efforts of the Women Development and Child’s Rights Programme of the JDPC, which organised the training workshop and also published the manual, adding that it would go a long way in tackling the monster of abuse currently bedeviling the society.

The Head of programme of Women Development and Child’s Rights, Mrs Omotayo Adebayo, in her remarks, said the department noticed that those who abuse minors and vulnerable adults are those who are close to them.

She added that the training programme and manual would help stakeholders identify when an abuse occurs and how to respond to such.

Among the stakeholders at the launching of the manual include the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police, Ministry of Education, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Islamic Society.