Parents and guardians in Kogi State have been charged to safeguard and protect their children against all forms of child abuse to enable them to live a peaceful life in society.
The senior special assistant (SSA) to the Kogi State Governor on Child Abuse, Hon. Oziohu Jamilat Muhammed gave the charge yesterday when she visited Reference Hospital in Okene, Specialist Hospital, schools, and orphanage homes in Lokoja the state capital to educate and sensitize children and parents on the danger inherent in child abuse if not tackled headlong.
According to her, there can never be a community without children, stressing that they should be trained and brought up in a modest way that will enable them to fit into society.
“I want to use this opportunity to sensitize parents and guardians on the need for them to intensify efforts in ensuring that their children grow up without any forms of abuse.
“It is also imperative for parents not to abuse their children. There are three or more types of abuses namely physical child abuse which involve beating and inflicting injuries on the body of a child because you want to correct him or her. This type of abuse will only make children harden and become hostile to society.
“The second is sexual abuse. As a mother, you have to be careful about the type of people that move around with your children. Some people coming closer to the children have bad intentions toward them. Some male adults derive pleasure in having the canal knowledge of minors which exposes children to danger and such acts are evil and devilish. Mothers should also keep an eye on some family members and nannies because they can be dangerous to their children.
“Emotional abuse is also very bad because there are certain treatments you give to your child that you don’t know you are challenging their mental health, they start thinking far as a child and they will grow up to become dolls because of the way and manner you have treated them.
“As a result of this abuse, the children cannot express themselves in public. There is another type of abuse called neglect, some parents don’t bother if their children are hungry and they don’t know that they are damaging the children’s health. As parents you should try as much as possible not to have damage society, take care of your children, and provide for their needs,” she advised.
While commending the state governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, for prioritizing the welfare of children, the senior special assistant to the governor on child abuse assured all the orphanage homes in Kogi State that the government will continue to support them to take good care of the children in their various homes.
In his remarks, the chief medical director, of Specialist Hospital Lokoja Professor Isah Yahaya Adagiri described the effort of the SSA in sensitizing parents on child abuse as very important and necessary, saying lack of knowledge has been observed to be a contributing factor to the rising menace of child abuse in the society.
Professor Adagiri who charged parents to be wary of some relations and close neighbours advised them to always educate their children on the need for them to report whenever they were abused by anybody.
In her words of appreciation, the proprietor of Rehoboth Children Home, located at Phase One Lokoja, Modupe Awoniyi, appealed to the state government to assist the children’s home with a vehicle and financial support to enable her to run it effectively.
“I am not surprised when I saw the SSA in our home at the instance of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo. The Governor when he has never thought of becoming the chief executive of the state, we approached him when he was an Auditor General of local government, we presented our major challenges then which was water and within twenty four hours he provided us with motorized bore-hole and a generator aside other assistance he rendered to us.
“Now that he is the governor of the state we are also seeking for his support in the area of transportation we don’t have vehicle to convey our children to functions that can improve their knowledge. These children are fatherless and motherless , as citizen we believe that they should live a normal life like other children, therefore we need the support of government to make this children comfortable,” she stated.
Highlight of the visit and sensitisation programme was the distribution of food, consumables, toiletries and cash to children in hospitals and orphanage homes.
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