FG declares war on child molestation
The federal government on Wednesday declared war on any form of maltreatment, molestation or abuse of a child, saying that any individual or institution caught in the act would be severely sanctioned.
WesternPost reports that the Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, gave the warning when she visited the Junior Secondary School, Kagini in Kubwa, Abuja.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is totally committed to ensuring the psychological and physical well-being of children in the country, adding that the government would leave no stone unturned in the realisation of the policy objective.
The Minister explained that every Nigerian child has the right to grow and function effectively in the society, adding that federal government had declared zero tolerance for all forms of maltreatment and abuse against children in the country.
She explained further ” Children are undoubtedly the future of every nation and hence, need to grow, read and learn in a healthy environment that meets their social, emotional and educational demands as this will prepare them to become the responsible adults that the nation needs.
“Children who have been victims of maltreatment have been shown to display non-academic problem behaviours like aggression, off-task behaviours as well as poor social skills at higher proportions, compared to their non-maltreated counterparts.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says that all Nigerians should be allowed to breathe, this includes the children because without them, no nation will have a future”, said the Minister.
She, however, called on management and staff of primary and secondary Schools to be guided with love and compassion as they administer discipline on their wards, noting that government would not sit back and watch anyone maltreat its future leaders.
Kennedy-Ohanenye also called on children and students in secondary schools to eschew all forms of negative tendencies capable of truncating their future, advising them to embrace the culture of determination, hardwork and be obedient to constituted authorities with a view to ensuring that they reach their pinnacle in life.
