The Director-General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mr Mansur Liman, on Friday called on government at all levels to address the plight of street children.
Liman, who made the call at a programme organised by ECOWAS Children Parliament and Young Ambassadors Against Drug Abuse Initiative (YAADAI), an NGO, decried the high rate of the street children.
The programme is tagged“ECOWAS Parliament’s date with street child and inauguration of street children parliament’’.
Represented by Mr Sani Suleiman, Director News, Liman said that the high rate of street children in the city really called for government and legislation to end the scourge.
He said that the call was in line with the four-guiding principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of which member countries of ECOWAS are signatories to.
According to him, we can unite people and efforts across boards when we address the circumstance of street children rather than making them become tools in the hands of social deviants, who are eager to disrupt peace and order.
He said that we can uplift the people in Nigeria and ECOWAS region only when we support efforts to bring children out of the street which he said was fundamental to the country future development.
“It is important to state that children represent hope, survival and continuity of human society. As such, they require care, love, and protection.
“No wonder, the UN, the African Union and other regional, sub-regional, national and local communities, have laws and programmes targeted at improving the lots of children.
“However, millions of children are not enjoying these basic cares because they have found themselves on the streets, which is of no fault of their and are often forgotten in the scheme of affairs as well as the implementation of these laws.
“The situation with children on the street is better imagined than witnessed. As such, the children and the society cannot claim that it is well when children are on the streets abandoned in their vulnerabilities, exposed to all forms of crimes, abuses,’’ he said.
He said that children are swelling up rapidly on the streets of our major cities, towns and even local environments giving the prevailing crises, disasters and social distortions such as crashed marriages, and broken homes.
He said that the danger posed by these developments if not address with sustainable goals would remain a ticking time bomb that could explode later on.
According to him, FRCN in collaboration YAADAI thought it appropriate to allot 30 minutes on the Network service, on Sundays at 12:30pm to discuss issues concerning street children and to remind government and stakeholders of their responsibilities towards these children.
Also speaking, Mrs Zainab Khaleel, National Coordinator Street Children’s Parliament, noted that, children are victims of so many insecurities, while calling on the country’s leaders not to allow these children to be harmed.
According to her, these children have been neglected; they have been abused, they are victims of the Boko haram insurgency, the kidnapping and so many things.
She said that all these vices happened to the children because the leaders have failed to perform their responsibility to them, adding that, the meeting with the children was a wakeup call to government and all stakeholders.
“This issue goes beyond here of just sitting and talking, let us implement, let us take that giant step to show that we have changed the narratives.
“The inauguration of the street children’s parliament should not just be in Nigeria but take place in all the 15 ECOWAS members’ countries. As Africans, we owe our children to do what is in the best interest of them,’’ she pleaded.
Mrs Chinwe Adelekan, President of ECOPARL Amazon, stated that the objective of the meeting was to formally introduce the “Street Children’’ to the speaker and members of children parliament and to draw support through effective legislation.
“This gathering today, we believe that members of parliament will also champion the implementation of laws and conventions of the child’s right within the ECOWAS region,” she said.
She stated that the children had been variously defined as poor, who live on the streets of the city and are usually underage, are hungry, lack access to basic social amenities.
She, therefore, called on the government to come to the plight of the children with better legislation that would end the scenario. (NAN)
