Plan International, a development and humanitarian organisation, has joined other stakeholders to call for severe punishment on every offence committed against children, in the society.
The Communication Advisor of Plan International, Mr Yunus Abdulhamid, made the call on Thursday in Abuja, at a stakeholders forum to commemorate the 2022 Day of the African Child (DAC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Day of the African Child is commemorated every June 16, by member states of the African Union (AU) and its partners, in accordance with resolution of the union.
The commemoration recalls the 1976 uprisings in Soweto, South Africa, when a protest by school children against discrimination in the education system, resulted in the public killing of unarmed young protesters by police officials.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is: Eliminating Harmful Practices affecting children; Progress on Policy and Practice since 2013.
According to Abdulhamid, every other day, in spite of law made at the national level and cascaded to the states, the African child still faced the same challenge everyday.
“This means no matter how beautiful the laws could be, if not implemented, it amount to nothing.
“African children face challenges of rape and all sorts of abuses and there are no deterrents. We as stakeholders, mount our commitments but do not amount to anything.
“There should be a punishment for every offence committed against the children and this is the only way we can have a better society,” he said.
He also called on the government to look at the problems of out-of-school children and intensify efforts in returning them to school.
Also speaking, Mrs Ene Obi, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), expressed concern that issues relating to harmful practices against children were still ongoing.
Obi, who was represented by the Director of Programmes of the organisation, Mrs Suwaiba Dankabo, added that children were no longer safe, as they were often recruited into child labour across the country.
She said that the killing of twins in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in some part of the country, still rampant, hence the need for adequate attention by the country to stop these acts.
She added that there was also the need to jointly fight, to defend the rights of the children in the country.
“AAN operates a zero tolerance to child abuse. We promote the adoption of child rights across all states.
“We have been able to secure justice for children who are sexually harassed. We should know that children have to survive and we cannot close our eyes to all these harmful practices against them,” she said.
She, therefore, called for the right resources to be allocated for children, thereby ensuring that their rights were protected, irrespective of where they resided.
Meanwhile, the Director of Advocacy and Campaign, Save the Children, an NGO, Mr Amanuel Mamo, urged stakeholders to continually work in defense of the rights of the children.
Mamo called for proper fund allocated for the benefits of children in the country, adding that passing the Child Rights Act was not enough.
According to him, implementing the act to the letter would go a long way in addressing the challenges of children in the country.
Some of the children, who spoke at the event, want the government at all levels, to address issues around harmful practices against children.
Miss Deborah James from the Eagle for Hope Mothers and Child Care Foundation, said that the issue of Female Genital Mutilation was doing more harm than good to the girl-child.
James pleaded with the government to help eradicate the practice by putting in place, sanctions on those who engaged in such practice.
Also speaking, Steven Adeyemi, a 13-year- old boy, said it was worrisome that most of those harmful practices were done in the country’s capital territory.
Adeyemi called on the government to sensitise communities engaging in such acts, so as to permanently stop the practice.
“Children’s lives are precious, no child is evil,” he stated. (NAN)
