A non-governmental organization, New-Life Community Care Initiative (NELCCI) has blamed the poor implementation of Child Rights Law on low sensitization.
Enugu is one of the States that has domesticated the law since 2016. However, the awareness rate is still at its lowest level.
Florence Ifeanyi-Aneke, the NELCCI Executive Director, while speaking during a 3-day training of a Community Child Rights Implementation Committee in Enugu on Thursday, said the group was trying to fill the gap.
Ifeanyi-Aneke noted that most people in the State were not aware of the law safeguarding the rights of children in the State
According to her, the level of awareness of the law was very low among members of the public, adding that NELCCI decided to take the bull by the horn, hence the training of members of the community-based groups.
“It will interest you to know that even the participants here are not aware of such law and with this training, we want the whole Enugu State to know there is a child rights law in the State.
“We hope that by the end of the programme, people of Enugu will begin to appreciate NELCCI for leading the campaign,” she said.
She added that the idea was for the committees to have basic knowledge about the rights of the child and punishment that should be meted on anyone who violated it.
She expressed optimism that the committee would see that the affairs of the children in the selected communities were adequately protected.
“We intend to have the committees in two communities, Umabi in Udi and Eziama Idodo in Nkanu East Local Government Areas in Enugu State, including their secondary schools.
“They are to work as watchdog on issues that affect children in the various communities and handle affairs such as children’s abuse, rape and early marriage.
“Presently, we have engaged traditional rulers and leaders in the two communities to end abuses and right violation of children and women in their domain and communities.
“If there are issues of child abuse and molestation, the community would report to the committee”, she said, stressing that if the committee is unable to handle te matter, it would in turn refer the complaint to NELCCI.
Also speaking, a resource person, Barr. Ebere Chikezie said the rate of implementation of Child Rights Law in the State was very low.
She applauded NELCCI for initiating the training which she said would change the narrative.
A participant, Mrs Comfort Egbu expressed delight over the training, vowing to take the fight home.