Stop Using Underaged Girls As House Maids – FG Warns Citizens

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, January 24th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has issued a caution to parents against giving out their children as domestic helpers or for adoption.

Addressing the audience during a New Year celebration party for school children in Abuja, the minister noted the necessity of the warning to prevent cases of child molestation, domestic abuse, and other forms of mistreatment.

She highlighted the importance of adopting children within the confines of the law and ensuring close monitoring to safeguard them from any form of abuse.

Kennedy-Ohanenye stressed that parents bear the responsibility of protecting their children from all forms of abuse and harmful practices, urging them to provide safe spaces for their growth and development.

In her address, the minister noted the evolving landscape of child adoption, stating, “The adoption of children is no more the way it used to be, narratives are being changed, you can’t adopt a Nigerian child and whisk the child away overseas to do what you like.”

She issued a stern warning to parents, stating, “I urge parents, don’t have children you can’t train; these are some of the reasons these children are suffering. It is unfair and very bad that you have children you cannot train and subject them to so many sufferings.”

Expressing concern over the welfare of adopted children, Kennedy-Ohanenye pointed out that some parents give out their children to assist others without ensuring the child’s well-being.

She urged teachers to play an active role in safeguarding children’s rights, stating, “Even the teachers should take note, ask the child questions, and report back because the teachers are already aware that when you maltreat a child, it is a crime.”

The minister highlighted the existence of mobile courts to report those who molest or defile children, underlining the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of children.

On the issue of house helps, Kennedy-Ohanenye stated that they must be of age and should not be maltreated under any circumstance. She called for a collective effort to ensure the well-being of children in all aspects of their lives.

Adding her voice to the discussion, Rep Kafilat Ogbara, House Committee Chair on Women Affairs, urged children to see themselves as contributors to nation-building. She encouraged them to be prayerful, obedient, and serious with their studies, stating that there is no achievement they cannot reach in life.

Asmau Muhammed-Ignamus, Gombe state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, highlighted the importance of the Child Rights Act in protecting children’s rights and dignity.

She informed the audience that the Gombe state government has already adopted the Act to ensure the welfare of children in the state.

NAN