THE Lagos State government has emphasised its zero tolerance for the physical, psychological or sexual maltreatment of children.
The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaja Sherifat Jaji, last weekend during a walk organised by The Young Muslims Association (TYMa) to mark the 2019 International Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse, said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was passionate about child protection rights.
The SSG, who was represented by Alhaja Maryam Oyesiji, said: “As part of our efforts towards protecting the rights of the children, the Lagos State government has created several offices. In the Ministry of Justice, for instance, we have the department of child abuse.
“Also in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, we have another section for treating the issue of child abuse. In fact, a lot of offices abound in order to checkmate the issue of child abuse and trafficking.”
Alhaja Jaji said to check the rising cases of child abuse, there was the need for serious public sensitisation and reorientation.
“The Lagos State government has done a lot in this area. We have a lot of jingles on radio and television addressing child trafficking and other vices related to and affecting children,” she said.
She warned against child molestation, trafficking, loitering, street trading, and hawking, saying that offenders would be prosecuted.
The SSG urged parents to take a lot of interest in their children.
“We need to pay attention to our children. Often times, we leave them loitering about and at the mercy of neighbours, uncles and aunties who, in most cases, don’t have time for them. In fact, a lot of these abuses are perpetrated by these so-called uncles and aunties.
“It is not only the female children that are prone to abuse. Even the male children are susceptible. The so-called uncle would come and tell the girl-child, ‘I am your husband’. The same goes for the auntie who would tell the boy, ‘I am your wife’. Parents need to educate their children about it. They are your uncles and aunties and your parents are your parents. A lot of things have to be done,” Jaji said.
The TYMa national coordinator, Mr Musiliu Owolewa, said the event was organised to commemorate the United Nations Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse slated for every November 19, “but because the day is a weekday [Tuesday], we decided to create awareness and advocate enlightenment on the importance of the day with a walk and press conference today [Sunday].”
The right of every child, Owolewa said, was paramount in every society.
“They are the future of nations; the hope for the coming generation. When these fragile creatures are mismanaged or abused, then the future is blinking,” he said and described children as special gifts from Allah; jewels and pearls who deserve to be celebrated and loved by all.
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“Every child is important, that is why they must be nurtured with care and love. They must be celebrated and loved by all,” he said.
Owolewa said it was disheartening that in today’s world, there were rising cases of child maltreatment, many of which call for urgent attention.
“Records have shown that 95 per cent of prostitutes were sexually abused as children. Seventy-eight per cent of the prison population were abused as children, 50 per cent of suicidal attempts reported have been sexually abused at some point. Six out of every 10 children experience some form of violence and only a fraction receive help or justice,” he noted
He also quoted UNICEF figures of 2019 which revealed that one of four girls and 10 per cent of boys have been victims of sexual violence in Nigeria.
Some of the effects of child abuse on victims, Owolewa said, could be physical injury, emotional imbalance, behavioural maladjustment, poor academic performance, low self-esteem, depression, prone to further abuse, suicide attempt and sometimes death of the victim.
A former national coordinator of TYMa, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Ajala, called on the government to regulate and sanitise the activities of correctional centres in the country, saying that some of them molest and violate the Child Rights Act.
He said one of the responsibilities of the government was to protect all citizens, including children, from being molested and victimised.
According to him, the government has a bigger role to play in putting an end to child abuse. First, it must try to follow the declaration on child rights and protection and some of the policies that will protect all the children from abuse by implementing them.
“A lot of very good policies the government has done. They are in the ministries and have turned to brown papers. We must see to the implementation of some of these policies, particularly issues that border on child rights and protection.
“The government must be able to establish different institutions that will monitor cases of child abuse across the nooks and crannies of the states and the nation as a whole. Again, the government needs to be proactive in instituting measures at prosecuting the perpetrators and protecting the innocent children from abuse and neglect,” Ajala said.
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