Stakeholders in Ebonyi State have been tasked to join force with United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) to end violence against children in the state.
The stakeholders including the traditional rulers, town inion leaderships, ministry of justice, local government and chieftaincy matters and women affairs and social development police, media and others received the call during the official flag-off of End Violence Against Children (End VAC) community-based child protection structures in the state.
The event organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in conjunction with BERWO was supported by UNICEF.
According to Dr Ibrahim Sessay, UNICEF Chief Child Protection Officer, the stakeholders collaboration is needed to end violence against children for their safety, protection and to secure a better future for all children.
He then called on Ebonyi State legislators, the Chief judge, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, and other top government officials to scale up their commitment in the fight to end violence against children in the state.
“Ebonyi State has been in the vanguard to end violence against children over the years. I, therefore, assure of greater support and commitment of UNICEF to end violence against children. it is important for the government to pay their counterpart funds, regularly as to access more funds from UNICEF.
“I want to appreciate the doggedness of traditional rulers in the state. I urge them to step down in their various communities, because community-based structure is very strategic in this campaign to end violence against children.”
Ibrahim, however charged the security agencies, NGOs, and other voluntary organisations to support the fight against children adding that it is a collective responsibility.
Other UNICEF officials including Dr.Godwin Odoh and Victor Atuchukwu in their different remarks, emphasised the importance of community-child protection structures in the state and urged the stakeholders to collectively protect children against all forms of violence and abuse in various communities.
They further urged the traditional rulers, youth wings, paralegal, and auxiliary nurses, among other auxiliary social workers to assist immediately when such incidents occurred.
Responding, the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Mary-Maudaline Nwifuru promised to address all health related issues that bothers on children and women through her pet project, BERWO.
She then commended UNICEF’s efforts for their contributions to the welfare of children, women and girls from the state over the years.
The governor’s wife urged all the stakeholders to be part of the campaign to end violence against children in the state.
Also, the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State, CP Augustina Ogbodo, while noting that violence against children includes neglect, maltreatment, sexual violence, psychology, economic violence, and emotional violence, enjoined the stakeholders to support the fight by sensitising their people on the importance of reporting such cases to the police for proper prosecution of the offenders.
According to her, the rate of violence against children in the state is underreported.
Earlier in her address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Felicia Nwamkpuma, said her ministry is working assiduously with the wife of the governor to end violence against children in the state as many programmes had been carried out to ensure full implementation, more especially at the grassroots level.
Highlight of the programme were testimonies from CPCBS members across local government areas of the state.
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