From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has expressed worry over the increasing incidence of child abuse and molestation against girl child in the state describing the development as unacceptable.
In its bid to tackle the problem, the Kogi state government has pledged to reinforce the Guidance & Counselling department in schools to end violence against children in the state.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones, gave the hint when a coalition of NGOs, the Rehoboth Community Advancement Initiative (RECAN), led by its Executive Director, Abaniwo Nathaniel, paid him a visit in Lokoja on Wednesday.
According to him, the guidance and counselling unit will help children discover and develop their educational, vocational, and psychological potentialities to achieve an optimal level of personal happiness and social usefulness.
He enjoined parents not to be afraid of stigmatisation but to speak out and come forward to report any form of molestations against their children.
He added that a reported case, would enable the ministry to look at the possible cause of such molestation, and addressed it from the root to avoid reoccurrence of such incidence.
Earlier, Abaniwo Nathaniel, the Executive Director of RECAN, said that the team were coalition of NGOs involved in a campaign tagged: ”End Violence Against Children (EVAC)” who decided to pay advocacy visit to the commissioner.
According to Nathaniel, the key issues we brought to the commissioner is the Multi-Sectoral Response of EVAC documents which was a survey done in 2014 and put together to ensure that every MDAs have their responses, and know the priority areas to focus in addressing violence against children in Kogi State.
”The area of focus of the education ministry has to do with bringing education very close to children and also to prevent violence against children in schools.
”One of the gaps we have seen in schools is the absence of data to support what we are doing today, which has made our work to be very difficult.
”Though there were reported cases but they are not reaching the right place where those cases could be effectively handled and resolved to the interest of the children.
”So, we want a Multi-sectoral response to ending violence against children in Kogi state, and the ministry of education will play a vital role.
”We have over 60 NGOs under this group in collaboration with the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the fight to ending violence against children in Kogi state,” Nathaniel said.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Pastor Emmanuel Idenyi, appreciated the group for the advocacy visit, while assuring them that the ministry would continue to partner with relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety of every school child.
