Prioritize child friendly policies, group tells federal, state govts

* as CEE-HOPE Nigeria launches a book: ‘Justice for Ochanya’ in honour of late Ochanya Ogbanje

A civil society organisation, Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE), has charged federal, state and local governments in the country to prioritize child friendly policies and implement existing child rights laws to ensure abusers of children are served justice on time.

The group, which focuses on the rights of vulnerable children and advocacy for child’s rights, made this known today at a workshop hosted in Lagos to mark the one year anniversary since Ochanya Ogbanje died after she was allegedly abused by her uncle.

Daily Trust reports that Ochanya Ogbanje was a 13 years old girl that was sexually molested allegedly by her Aunt’s husband, Andrew Ogbuja and his son, Victor Ogbuja from age eight till her death in October 2018 due to health complications as a result of incessant rape.

Following her death, CEE-HOPE Nigeria, said the child protection workshop became essential to ensure that justice is served on Ochanya’s death, and to advocate for the immediate end to child molestation and sexual abuse.

The group said the workshop was also a way of sensitizing the public on the need for everyone to be aware of the consequences of abuse on children and ways to avoid any form of it.

Speaking at the event, the Convener of CEE-HOPE Nigeria, Betty Abah, said Nigeria is not in a good place yet when it comes to child’s rights protection because the government and the enforcement agencies who are saddled with the responsibility of dealing with people that threatens the rights of children in the country are not carrying out those duties effectively.

She lamented that most of the times when the government talks about child’s rights, it’s to attract international donors and to impress the rest of the world.

She called on Nigeria to prioritize child friendly policies that will cater for the well being of the children, especially the most vulnerable ones.

“Ochanya’s case after a year is still dragging and trial has still not begun in our country, because there are no serious consequences attached to offences of such degree in Nigeria.

“We are using this workshop to draw the attention of the general public and the government to the fact that the case is ongoing and that justice must be served for Ochanya”, Abah said.

Also commenting, Ochanya’s brother and a journalist, Ameh John, said the family’s quest for justice is not borne out of vengeance, because no amount of punishment handed to the culprits if found guilty can be deemed adequate for the loss of the girl.

“But the quest for justice is to ensure that with justice, little girls and vulnerable women within the community and in Nigeria as a whole will be safer from the pandemic of sexual violence. And we are convinced that this is why Nigerians and the world are united in demanding justice for Ochanya,” he said.

A guest speaker at the event, Princess (Dr.) Olufemi Kayode, who is also a sexual-violence response expert, called on government agencies involved in child’s rights’ programmes to summon political will that will give importance to children’s well being and ensure great consequences are meted out to child molesters at every level.

She stressed the need for massive awareness and campaigns to educate people about the consequences of child abuse and ways to avoid it.

Princess Kayode also urged parents to take responsibility for intentional parenting as a way of protecting their children from rape which is now a public health epidemic in the country.

The group also launched a book, titled: ‘Justice for Ochanya’ in honour of late Ochanya Ogbanje.