By Praise Chinecherem
The Child Protection Network, CPN, Anambra State, has cautioned against relationships that expose children and teenagers to sexual abuse by trusted and close relations.
A member of the network, Yohanna Rachel, gave the charge during a sensitization campaign supported by International IDEA through the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Program, RoLAC 2, at Nnamdi Azikiwe High School, Awka on child sexual abuse.
Yohana, while arguing that every child has a right to protection as guaranteed by the Child Rights Law and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, encouraged the students not to cooperate with abusers but to expose them to face the full weight of the law.
“It is your right to be protected. Sexual abuse is growing because it is done in secrecy. As a child, sexual intercourse is not for your age. The child rights law says that anyone below the age of 18 is still a child and children are not meant to have sex whether with yourselves or with adults – male or female. It is a crime against you and that is why you need to speak up.
“Some of you are in homes, communities where you cannot help yourselves. You have many adults trying to lure you into the act. Report them to us and we take it up from there. Sex is destroying this generation and we are out to fight the people luring you into it because we know that you are innocent.
The State Coordinator of CPN, Eucharia Anekwe, further explained, “This program is all about sensitizing all segments of the society on child sexual abuse. The way the cases should be report and we monitoring them. We monitor the cases to ensure that they get to logical conclusions. RoLAC with support from International IDEA is funding us to ensure that the perpetrators don’t just go free.
“We pick cases from every community in the state. We have our case managers trained recently and assigned to LGAs. While we move about for sensitization, we go along with the case manager for each LGA and disseminate her contact and that of the CPN secretary or the project coordinator so that people can report their cases to them.
“For this sensitization program, we are visiting schools, markets, churches and it will last for six days. It is a good prelude for our 16 days activism starting later this month,” she said.
The school Principal, Olanike Israel, extolled the CPN members for the seed they have sown in the lives of the children. “What do you say to them? “Thank you,” the students chorused.
Israel added, “You may not know what they have done. But I am sure that with time, sometime, someday, you will need those numbers that they have called out to you. You may not even be the victims, but somebody next to you and she is confused. If you see something, say something. That is what the Federal Government preaches.
CPN had on Sunday visited the New Heritage Baptist Church, Awka where members encouraged parents and children to guard against the ravaging scourge of sexual abuse in the society.
“Get involved in their everyday living. Monitor everyone who stays around them. Anyone who abuses a child must be reported to face the law. Incest is taking over our homes without the knowledge of the parents. We need to wake up and pay attention to our children”.
“If you know of any case not necessarily your own child, but every child you save is service to humanity. We are available in every local government in Anambra state. Reach out to us and we will be of help to you and that child.
The Pastor in charge of the church, Reverend Emmanuel Okoroafor, appreciated the CPN members for choosing the congregation for their campaign. “This message is useful for all of us. I believe that the church platforms offer you the brightest opportunity to reach the targeted audience for this all-important message.
Contacts of CPN members who manage the cases in Awka South LGA were released to the teachers, students and congregation on the two occasions.
