A strong advocate has been made for Government to establish family Courts in Kogi State.
This the Executive Director of a Non-Governmental Organization, Centre for Women, Youth and Community Action (NACWYCA) in partnership with Teens educational Development and Information Initiative (TEDiiN), Mr. Titus Alonge disclosed is to give care, help, protection, training and education to children in order for them to grow into useful citizens and members of the society.
The call according to the President and Chief Executive Officer of TEDiiN, the implementing partner of the USAID-Sponsored SCALE project, called on the government to build and designate functional juvenile homes.
The Chief Executive Officer explained that when children break the law, it becomes pertinent to remember that the essence of justice administration is to mould and not to break them, reason why the call for a family court and child protection laws.
Mr. Alonge lamented the absence of functional safe spaces for children in conflict with the law in need of protection in the State, urged government to build functional safe spaces.
While pointing out that it has become necessary to provide annual budgetary allocation for the implementation of the child rights laws.
He called on Civil Society Organizations to intensify efforts at advocacy and provision of services for abuse and violated children in the State, urged for advocacy skills and funds to work for protection of children.
The CEO also called on CSOs to embark on massive awareness campaign at sensitizing the general public on the provision of the child rights law, urged parents to rise up to provide care and support for their children.
While noting that children are the future of any family, community and country, described children’s rights as human rights, advocates international and National instruments to protect the rights of children.
He lamented that children are daily faced with neglect, abuses and violation of their rights due to lack of structures to protect them.
The Chief Executive Officer lamented that each year approximately 262,000 babies die at birth, with 64% resulting from malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea, expressed worries that 2300 children die everyday from diseases that can easily be treated and cured.
He added that no fewer than 2 out of 5 birth are supervised by qualified medical personnel, 75% children he explained do not receive basic vaccination, says 1 in 8 children in Nigeria do not reach their fifth birthday.