By Correspondent in Minna
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) says it has commenced sensitisation of 60 communities in Niger state against all forms of child abuse including early marriage, child trafficking and denial of rights to education for children of school age.
Our correspindent that the sensitization will be followed by a 3-day training for media practitioners, starting on Monday, supported by UNICEF on violence in Rafi, Edati, Mashegu, Mariga, Mokwa, and Lavun of the state.
Malam Kallamu Paiko, who led the NOA team to the communities in Lavun Local Government Area, reminded parents and guardians that children were blessings from God, hence they should be properly guided.
Paiko reminded parents of their God- given role of properly trading their children as custodians by ensuring that children are enrolled in school to become better citizens and leaders of tomorrow.
He regretted that some individuals had distorted religion and culture to suit their personal purpose, thereby causing inhibitions and subject children to all forms of abuse.
‘Children that should be in school are forced to stay away from primary, secondary and tertiary education, this portends grave danger for future leaders.
“As parents, you are expected to always monitor and know the whereabouts of your child/wards, the peer group they mingle with and stop sending them to other states to beg, because they end in wrong hands and get abused,’he said.
While cautioning parents and guardians against sending their wards to other states to either acquire Islamic education or as domestic helps, Paiko reminded them that such acts exposed such children to danger and threats.
He challenged members of the communities to desist from sending their children to beg, child trafficking, female genital mutilation and as well all other forms of violence against children.
In their separate remarks, Alhaji Abubakar Wachin-Pata, Ezonuwa of Kutigi, Alhaji Salihu Turku, District Head of Ma’ali and Alhaji Usman Suleiman, Community Head of Dabban, lauded the NOA for embarking on the sensitization visit.
They, however, blamed most of child related abuses on poverty but assured of their commitments toward checking the trend for a better Nigeria tomorrow.
The community heads also said that some government policies on child rights favoured the child more, thereby making some parents fail in their responsibilities of disciplining their wards when they erred.
“For instance, when a parent decides to make decision for a child by telling him or her to complete school before getting married, when the child refuses and the parent reports the case to the police, the child can decide to take the parent to a civil rights organisation’.
The Reporters gathered that the training programme is in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The community expressed the hope that the training would go a long way in checking child related issues capable of causing setbacks to the growth and development of Nigeria’s future leaders.
The community leaders promised that they would continue to educate their subjects, on the need not to deviate from their God-given responsibility of taking up the training their children on the right path of life.
