…As SOTHAWACA Raises Alarm Over Increase In Child-Labour
Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
A group on the aegis of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has made case for the enforcement and implementation of the Edo State Child Rights Law, with the view of protecting the rights of the children in the state.
The Senior Programme Manager of CISLAC, Solomon Adoga, made the call in Benin, during its advocacy visits to officials of National Human Rights Commission and Society to Highten Awareness of Women and Children Abuse (SOTHAWACA).
The visit is on project Strengthening Child Care and Protection Systems in Nigeria, funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium including CISLAC, SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, and Jire Do Foundation.
Adoga who lauded the ongoing review of the Edo State Child Rights Law, harped on the importance of enforcement of the law.
“We cannot have an old law to respond to current issues. We believe that it is not just enough to have laws, but the enforcement is most important. But, you cannot enforce what the people are not aware of, hence, the need for this advocacy.
“So, on this leg we are basically looking at the review of of the law at this point in time. Its implementation and of course how people that involved are co-ordinated into that process.
“If the state on its own is implementing reviewing its law, clearly it understandable that there’s the need to address those gaps to strengthen child care and protection.
“We agree completely with that because child care and protection is evolving time. We cannot have an old law corresponding to current issues. So basically we are looking to support the process complete the review and beyond one that also partner with the state in its implementation.
“We also know the importance of sensitization and awareness creation amongst the citizens to understand the provisions of of this law even as we do,” Adoga said.
Responding, the Edo State Coordinator of National Human Rights Commission, Dosumu Olumide, disclosed that the core mandate of the Commission is protecting and promoting human rights.
Olumide who was represented by the Chief Investigation Officer, Temi-Tonwe Weyimi, said: “Child rights is very very core, very important to the National Human Rights Commission.
“We are in so many steering committees we are involved in so many current committee and the education office has also engaged in sensitization workshop in different schools.
“We’ve met with students and school authorities, and we’ve tried as much as possible to sensitize students concerning their rights.”
Earlier, the Initiator of Society to Highten Awareness of Women and Children Abuse (SOTHAWACA), Ronke Ojeikere, raised the alarm over the increase in child labour in the society.
Ojeikere who is a member of Edo State Gender Base Management Committee, stated that child protection is a paramount goal of her organization.
“If you look around Edo State, for example, we now see a role reversal. The parents are not working.
“The children are the ones who are working to ensure that they get a good livelihood, support. Children are now the ones supporting parents,” she said.