By Lucky Isibor
The Edo State government has expressed its readiness to collaborate with parents, religious groups, community leaders and other stakeholders to protect Edo children and shield them from molestation by adults who may want to take advantage of them.
Edo State Commissioner for Social Development and Gender Issues, Hon. (Mrs) Christabel Omo-Ekwu stated the government’s position at the first quarterly meeting of the Edo State Child Rights Implementation Committee (SCRIC) and inauguration of the Local Government Child Rights Implementation Committees (LGCRIC) held Tuesday, 21 May in Benin City.
Addressing members of the Local Government Child Rights Committee at the inauguration which was supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme funded by the European Union and being implemented by International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Advancement (International IDEA); Hon. Omo-Ekwu appealed to the LGCRIC members to take the campaign against child abuse to all nooks and crannies of the state and create awareness that all child abusers will face the full wrought of the law.
“God has entrused these children into our hands. Take this as a call to duty, save the future generation, because if you and I were abused as a girl child or a boy child or our voices were hidden, if we were not able to express ourselves; I don’t think we would be standing here today. If I didn’t grow up in a good environment where I was given the first strict upbringing that I can achieve what I want to achieve in life; I don’t know the kind of woman I would have become today.
“Then come to look at this generation where our children are being messed up, where our children are not safe; a child just wake up in the morning and instead of waking up to see the brightness of the day with bright hope and bright future, but finds out that it’s either the neighbour wants to do something stupid, the uncle’s friend, the father ‘s friend, the mother’s husband wants to take advantage of him or her. He or she finds the whole environment so toxic.
“So, we need to help our children. As we leave this hall today, I appeal to those of us inaugurated today that this message is not to die in your heart; it’s a message to speak for, whether in religious gatherings, your local meetings, which ever association you belong, spread it there and keep saying it to our people”.
While frowning at the lukewarm attitude of neighbours to the upbringing of children in their neighbourhood, Hon. Omo-Ekwu appealed to adults to always report cases of child abuse in their residential areas.
She deplored the action of a father who was using his four years old daughter to create adult content on twitter and other social media platforms that was trending on social media platforms recently, disclosing that the Edo State government has arrested the man adding that the little girl is now in custody of the ministry.
She pointed out that the ministry is spreading it’s drag net to arrest all those who aided the abuse of the four-year old girl, adding that the photographers that shot the pictures have also been arrested.
While urging members of the State Child Rights Implementation Committee to have a fruitful deliberation, the Honourable Commissioner enumerated the objectives of the first quarterly meeting of the committee to include the provision of a “Platform for State Child Rights Implementation Committee members to share knowledge and experience gained from the recently concluded capacity-building workshop for principal officers of SCRIC organised by the National Child Rights Implementation Committee. To provide an opportunity of SCRIC to make input into the ongoing review of the Child Rights Law.
“Provide a platform for stakeholders to review the progress and challenges in the implementation of SCRIC initiatives at the state level; Inaugurate 3 LGCRICs and re-activate 3 dormant LGCRICs to extend the reach of child rights protection to the grassroots level and enhancecommunity participation, Develop a reporting template on justice outcomes for children and Develop actionable plans to strengthen the coordination and effectiveness of child rights implementation efforts across the state”.
Responding on behalf of other members of the inaugurated 3 LGCRIC members and 3 LGCRIC activated, chairman of Esan West LGCRIC, Hon. Morrison Ehiemua urge the state government and the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues to create the enabling environment for members of the LGCRIC to perform and assured of their willingness to deploy all efforts in ensuring that the rights of every Edo child are protected in every part of the state.
Thanking members of the State CRIC and LGCRIC for attending the meeting and the inauguration respectively, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Barbara Osobajo assured of that the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues will avail members of the committee at at the various levels the necessary tools that will enhance the discharge of their duties.
High point of the occasion was the inauguration of LGCRIC for Ikpoba-Okha, Esan West and Etsako West Local Government Areas and the re-activation of LGCRIC for Egor, Esan South-East and Akoko-Edo Local Government Areasp, after which the meeting went into technical session.