Local government leadership in Ebonyi state has been urged to support the sustenance of children’s parliament sittings and activities in their council areas as a means of ensuring the inclusion of children and their input in governance.
A civil society organisation, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, made the appeal recently in Afikpo local government area of the state.
The organization, as part of its mandate of protecting the welfare of children recently embarked on the reactivation of children’s parliament across the three senatorial zones of the state.
The parliament for Ebonyi South held its sitting in Afikpo LGA Legislative Council chambers where the children deliberated on some social issues affecting them.
Addressing observers including the wife of the chairman, Keziah Nwachi, and some legislative council members present at the event, the Executive Director of HRCRC, George Etamesor expressed concerns over the poor status and performance of children’s parliament in the state, stressing that much still need to be done to meet the desired outcome.
Etamesor, represented by the Head, Women and Children Department in the organisation, Emmanuel Nweke, appreciated the children parliamentarians for making themselves available for the special sitting while urging the local government authorities to help keep the vision alive.
He said: “We have just initiated this programme.
“What we are doing is a pilot project targeted at three local government areas, one from each senatorial zone of the state.
“With the findings we have made and the experiences we’ve gotten from this, it will help us to replicate the programme in all the local government areas of the state, with approval from relevant authority.
“The local governments should take it up by continually coordinating these children to be having meetings and sittings like this as we hope to join them with other representatives to make up a formidable state children’s parliament, active and working,”
In a communique containing the resolutions reached during their sitting bordering principally on education, health, child rights/abuse, labour and trafficking as well as parenting, among other issues, the children condemned the rising spate of child marriages describing it as inimical to the development of the girl child.
They urged the government, to among other things, work towards reducing economic hardship which lure parents to force their children into early marriages.
The parliament also asked for improved infrastructure, teaching and learning in schools, child security, improved health and social welfare for children and an end to child abuse, labour and trafficking, urging parents to always give birth to the number of children they can adequately cater for.
They further condemned some violent practices against the girl-child such as female genital mutilation and called for adequate punishment for perpetrators.
The communique was read out by the Speaker of the parliament, Melodian Ibe.
Wife of Afikpo local government area, Keziah Nwachi, in her remarks, admonished the children parliamentarians to live as beacons of light for other children to emulate.
While assuring the parliament that their demands would be channelled to appropriate quarters, the Chairman’s wife cautioned the children against involvement in child marriage.
“Parents are not always to be blamed.
“Sometimes, the children get involved on their own.
“With a little token of wealth waved before them, some children often willingly give in to child marriage.
“I want to tell you that there is nothing much in that; when you get there, you may regret it.
“Read your books, face your studies and the sky will be your starting point.
“You will enjoy marriage when you are ripe for it,” Nwachi admonished.
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