By Lucky Isibor
The Executive Director of Uromi Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative( Uromi JDPCI), Very Rev. Dr Fidelis Arhedo has urged the organisation’s Paralegals to report children found loitering the streets during school hours in any of the communities in Edo Central Senatorial to the traditional ruler or community chief in their area, adding that any child who’s not in school must be learning a skill and must not be loitering about.
Father Arhedo gave the charge to Uromi JDPCI paralegals in his remarks at the celebration of the 2024 World Day Against Child Labour and Abuse, organised by Uromi JDPCI in collaboration with MISEREOR held Thursday, 30 May at the Uromi Catholic Diocese Chancery, Uromi.
Uromi JDPCI in collaboration with MISEREOR have trained some volunteers as paralegals who advocate for the protection and defence of human rights, promotion of literacy and skill acquisition in the various wards and communities in Edo Central Senatorial District.
The clergy noted that the theme of this year’s celebration which is, “Children are our future, the more we invest in them, the better the future will be”, underscores the imperatives of protecting and caring for the children, pointing out that investing in children by providing them good education, health care, nutrition and safe environment will secure their future and the future of our communities, country and the world at large.
While pointing out that research has shown children who are given adequate love, care, support and protection during their formative years are less likely to be engaged in deviant behaviours and succeed academically, socially, and economically, Fr. Arhedo emphasised that “Today, I stand before you to emphasize the importance of investing in our children, as they are undeniably the future of our society. This is succinctly put by Pope John Paul Il that the future starts with the children.
“It is said that children are like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with colors and shapes that will determine their future. This is in line with the biblical injunction, which depicts thus “train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 Imagine if we neglect to invest in them and if we fail to provide them with the resources, education, love, and care they need to thrive. What kind of society will we be left with?
“As adults, it is our responsibility to ensure that our children are given the best possible start in life. This means providing them with opportunities for education, healthcare, nutrition, and a safe environment to grow and develop. By investing in our children, we are not just securing their future but also securing the future of our communities, our country, and ultimately the world”.
In a lecture delivered on the the theme of this year’s celebration, “Children are our future, the more we invest in them, the better the future will be” by Dr. Peter Aikohi, an erudite scholar and educationist, x-rayed the imperatives of investmenting in children as it is a moral obligation to the society and a prerequisite for sustainable peace building and prosperity.
Aikore tasked parents on playing their critical role of good parenting in molding the children through well thought out programmes, taking our value system into consideration.
“To invest in children, efforts must be geared towards funding proven programs and innovation strategies for children from birth.
“Parents/guardians as first teacher of children must play their critical role of good parenting in the process of molding children through articulated modes of upbringing centred on recreation and value systems. At this critical stage, special attention must be focused on the quality of early childhood learning environments such as preschool and childcare including expanded access to other programs for a holistic children up bringing”.
Aikore also enumerated the gains of proper upbringing, education and protection of children to the parents, the community, government and the society at large.
“There is the saying that education is the best legacy we can bequeath to the child. By providing children with quailty education that encourage critical thinking problem solving and creativity, they become in future master craft men that find solution to challenges facing the world.
“Education is a strong tool for socio-economic advancement, when a society produce educated children, they contribute to the fields of science, technology and literature for the societal well-being and increased standard of living. Investing in children’s education and skill developments is crucial In maintaining global competitiveness in international politics, business and global co-operations.
“By investing in their education, skill development and well-being, the children are equipped with the tools they need to become leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers in the society.
“By investing in children, their potentials are nurtured to become future investors in key sectors of the economy, scientists in various field of human endeavours and great artists.
“In non-formal education settings, there is need to train children in various trades and skills acquisition. This will create economic values in their lives and improved their status in the society they belong”.
In a good will message, the chairman of Esan North -East chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Apostle Joshua Oseyomon admonished parents to train their children and equip them with the nessecary skills and moral upbringing to face the challenges of the future, noting that children are gift from God and that parents will give account to God on how they cared for them.
In the essay competition organised by the Uromi JDPCI to commemorate the occasion, little Miss Pretty Akpukpu from Okhuesan Grammar School came out first. An interesting feature about the essay competition was the defence of the essays written by the students before the audience. At the end of their oral defence, the judges added their earlier scores to the scores from the defence and took the average to arrive at the final scores.
Cash prices were presented to the top three positions with the winner smiling home with N50,000, a school bag, 10 exercise books and two biros, while the second position got N30,000, a school bag, ten exercise books and two biros, and the third position got N20,000, a school bag, ten exercise books and two biros. The other participants got a school bag, ten exercise books and two biros each.
Responding on behalf of all the students, the winner of the essay competition, Miss Pretty Akpukpu thanked the Uromi JDPCI for the interest they’re showing in the educational upbringing and protection of children in Edo Central Senatorial District.
Traditional chiefs, teachers, parents, students from junior and senior secondary schools, representatives of all the communities in Edo Central Senatorial District attended the celebration.