ORPHANS SEEK PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

The boss boss noted that children all around the World are facing a lot of challenges as their rights and privileges are been trampled upon by people who ought to be protecting them, adding that government agencies, private sectors and major stakeholders must rise up to defend the Rights of Children.

His words, ‘children constitute a significant proportion of populations on the move across international and national borders globally, with a large number of those children moving from and across Africa, Nigeria especially children in South West and Oyo in particular.

‘In Africa, 50% of refugees are children, with about 3 million children forced out of their origins due to various humanitarian crises. Among migrants, nearly 1 in 3 is a child, which is more than twice the global average’, he noted.

“The requirement to place children’s rights first is an indication that where there is an obligation, the requisite body or individual must fulfill such an obligation in the interests of the child or children concerned. This is a restatement of the need to uphold the best interests of the child at all times.”

Penpushing further reports that, Williams noted that stakeholders are obliged to evaluate the viability of their policies to cater for children in vulnerable situations, including children with disabilities, to ensure that their rights are upheld, adding that humanitarian crisis have far-reaching implications and affect all strata of society.

“AONN is a network of NGOs working on children wellbeing in Nigeria, registered with Corporate Affairs Commission and the relevant Federal Ministries, AONN Oyo State Chapter is registered with all relevant Ministries and Agencies, and has membership in 33 LGAs in the State as well as the newly created LCDAs.”

“We seek to commemorate the day of the African Child via this press conference to draw attention to the rights of children and access to humanitarian response”, the chapter chairman said

Penpushing reports that, he pointed out that the African Child is celebrating in memory of students in Soweto, South Africa who were killed and wounded in 1976 during protest against poor quality education and demand that they should be taught in their own languages.

The Chairman highlighted some of the expectations of the association from the Oyo State Government and other stakeholders such as use preventive measures to avoid humanitarian situations which led to the violation of the rights of the children, protection and promotion of children’s rights during humanitarian emergencies as a key to achieving the desired outcome of aspirations, develop strategies that indicate the steps taken to ensure that the best interests of the child, especially children with disabilities are upheld in humanitarian crises.

Penpushing reports that, other expectations include: create an enabling environment for child abuse responders to ensure that the rights of children to justice, health, education, and a conducive environment are offered to the children who have been affected by same, ensuring that the perpetrators of violations of physical abuse against children are brought to justice via the existence of a functional family court.

“We also want to appeal to the government to do more in ensuring that laws that protects the rights of children are enforced and the populace sensitized on existing laws with emphasis on penalties when the Rights of children are trampled upon, because It is the duty of the government to protect and fulfill the Rights of children but the roles of the private sector cannot also be overemphasized.”

“The Private Sector should also invest more in education, health, clean environment and shun all forms of child labour and protect children affected by emergencies. Attention should be placed on supporting children in the State through organisations Corporate Social Responsibility.”

The Chairman however said that the association is ready to partner with government and key stakeholders so as to achieve improved quality of life for children in Nigeria and in Oyo State in particular.