THE Anambra State Child Rights Implementation Committee, ASCRIC, has said that it would soon embark on intervention measures geared toward curbing increasing cases of child abuse and neglect in the state.

Rising from its three-day retreat held at the Oaklands Hotel, Enugu, the group affirmed its readiness to ensure popularisation and observance of the child rights law by relevant institutions.

A statement released at the end of the programme, it noted that the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, ROLAC, with support from the state Ministry of Women Affairs for organising the event which assisted it to develop a work plan for the next two years.

Declaring the Retreat Open, Ndidi Mezue, the commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, urged the committee to utilise knowledge gained during the programme to promote action on child protection issues.

The commissioner, Azuka Oformata, who was represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, described the retreat as timely especially this period of unbridled upsurge in various forms of child abuse in the society.

Earlier, Josephine Onah, the state coordinator of ROLAC, said the international donor agency was ready to invest resources to drive the committee’s intervention programmes for child rights protection and survival.

“We are glad the committee has been inaugurated .I want members to show commitment and passion in the discharge of their duties and see it as a selfless service to save our future generation.

”They should think out of the box to conceive ideas and projects that will have positive impact on lives of children,’’ she added.

In a remark, Ugonna Ezekwem, a consultant to ROLAC, said there was need to create awareness and understanding of child rights law as had been domesticated through legislation by the state government.

Presenting a paper entitled: “Situational Analysis of State of Children in Anambra State’’, Hope Okoye, the founder, Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking and Community Development Initiative, INTACOM AFRICA, expressed dismay at the rate of child abuse in the state.

She specifically condemned rising incidences of child trafficking and exploitation in form of domestic servitude, street begging, street hawking and other forms of child labour, which could deprive children of their right to education.

Emeka Ejide, the director, My Child My Care Development Initiative, urged parents, guardians, teachers and  care givers to always respect  child development, participation  and survival rights as enshrined in the law.

BE

– Feb. 13, 2019 @ 18:00 GMT |