Group seeks implementation of Child Rights Laws to stem child abuse in Enugu
BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU
Disturbed by the increasing level of child abuse in Enugu State, residents of the state under the auspices of “Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum” have called on the state government to consider the implementation of the Child Rights Laws of the state.
The stakeholders made the call in Enugu, yesterday, at the event organised by the Women Aid Collective (WACOL), in partnership with The Agents for Citizens-driven Transformation (ACT) Programme, funded by European Union and implemented by British Council.
Various speakers at the event agreed that child abuses were rampant in many communities in the state, stressing that it was high time such ugly development was put to an end.
In his speech, the Research Coordinator, Development Strategy Centre, Enugu, Mr David Agu, said the study they conducted on Gender-Based Violence in August, 2022 showed an increase in child abuse in the state.
Agu said that the centre carries out an advocacy on child abuse which is evidence based, using four Council Areas from the three Senatorial zones in the state as a sample.
His words:
“Sometime this year, EU ACT programme wanted us to create an awareness on the level of child abuse in Enugu.
“So some NGOs agreed to work with them to increase the level of implementation of Child Rights Laws in Enugu and as a centre we saw the need to do a study on child abuse in the state.
“In the four LGAs, four communities were selected in a way that it will represent the state and data were collected from students and households in those communities
“Their findings revealed that there were still high prevalence of child abuse, comprising child labour, physical, sexual and emotional abuses in the state
“Relying on the data collected, 50 per cent males, especially in Enugu West LGA, followed by Awgu, Oji-River, Udi and Igboeze North LGAs, suffered child labour
“The study further showed that the factors responsible for child labour in Enugu to include child fending for himself for survival, child living with others aside their parents and those subjected to it by their own parents.
Agu further said that good number of children in Enugu missed school and classes while others dropped out of school within the period of the study to engage in economic activities to help their parents.
He said that the level of awareness on Child Rights Laws in the state was less than 50 per cent in all the 17 LGAs of the state , adding there were no database for child abuse.
Also speaking, the State Focal Person, ACT programme in Enugu, Ms Kobi Ikpo, said some consortium in the state were engaged by EU to implement Child Rights Laws in Enugu and WACOL was one of them.
Ikpo stated that WACOL has gone to field and they are presenting their findings to Enugu populace, to tell them what they found in their research.
“With the advocacy, the CSOs and government agencies in Enugu can now use it to engage public to see how they can stop the child abuses and other harmful practices against children in the state, she said.
Earlier, the Executive Director, WACOL, Professor Ezeilo, said the research by the group shoed high cases of child abuse in the state, adding there was need to sensitise the people with a view to stemming the trend.
The WACOL Executive Director stated EU assisted them to carry out an intervention to see how the menace can be stopped.
Professor Ezeilo who was represented by the Programme Manager WACOL, Mrs Anuli Ezennia, said they would use the workshop to sensitise Enugu people to existence of Child Rights Laws in the state.
“The idea is to facilitate the implementation of the child law, educate people and seek strategies on full implementation of the laws,” she said.
On the topic: “Provisions of the Child Rights Laws of Enugu State,” Dr Festus Ukwueze said government was unable to implement the law because of its provisions.
Dr Ukwueze a Law teacher at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (ÙNEC), said that government had an obligation under the law in Enugu to provide every child with quality education, healthcare, good drinking water, etc.
