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| L-R: Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development Omowumi Omowumi Olatunji-Edet, Her counterpart in the ministry of information and strategy Yemi Olowolabi and Emmanuel Igbasan of the Economic Planning and Budget Ministry addressing journalists after the weekly state Executives Council meeting, in Akure on Wednesday. |
Ondo State Government has approved the domestication of actions on Violence Against Children in line with the Federal Government action plan.
Briefing Government House Reporters on resolutions from the weekly State Executive Council meeting, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Omowumi Olatunji-Edet said council approved the launch of the Violence Against Children, VAC, logo and campaign, aimed at waging war against violence on children in accordance with the Federal Government action plan.
The Commissioner added that a Trust Fund would also be established for the purpose of ensuring that the aggressive campaigns needed across the state are not hampered by any logistics.
She regretted that, cases of violence and abuse against children in the state have not been adequately reported due to fear of stigmatization and family orientations but expressed hope that such would soon be things of the past with the new policy direction of the State Government.
“It has been discovered that incidences of violence have not been adequately reported before now because of stigmatisation and family orientations.
“These are what VAC will address. It will protect families and children that are involved.
“We want to assure the children we are for them as government will now be up and doing in its efforts at getting the children off the streets, because it is an abuse for a child to hawk in the streets or do menial jobs to keep the family going, when he is supposed to be in the classroom.
“Government will embark on advocacy, sensitization and will involve families to let the children understand their rights because the law is there and the implementation of the law is key to us”, she said.
Hon Olatunji-Edet disclosed that social workers would be allowed to visit the schools with a view to intimating the children with the provisions of the law that protects them whenever they are faced with any or different forms of abuses and the need for them to speak out.
The Commissioner who said that parents too would be involved in the fight believed there must be effective collaborations between the families and the school authorities for government to succeed in stamping out all forms of Violence Against Children in the state.
“Government can not work in isolation. It’s plan can only thrive through these organs. We need them to keep us informed adequately for prompt action.
“Of a truth, we are trying to encourage children and parents to speak out, notify the government to enable it swing into action”, she said.
While corroborating her, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Yemi Olowolabi said an inter-ministerial committee would be constituted to ensure the successful implementation of the Action Plan.
