The Wife of Edo State Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, on Thursday, launched the Edo Child Protection Policy to strengthen the child protection system in the state.
Launching the policy book with executive members of the Edo Children Parliament and members of the State’s Child Right Implementation Committee at the Edo State Government House in Benin City, she expressed delight that Edo pioneered the development and launch of such a policy in Nigeria.
In addition, the governor’s wife noted that the Obaseki-led administration prioritised child protection and provision of quality education for Edo children, as well as vocational education for students to facilitate skill acquisition and self-reliance.
“This administration wants to produce medium manpower through vocational skills acquisition because when people don’t have skills they are helpless. I will also like the introduction of vocational skills/handwork into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools in the state”, she said.
Meanwhile, the First Lady commended the proactive steps of members of the Edo Children Parliament to prevent abuse of children’s rights emphasising that the government was set to end child trafficking, strengthen the newly established family court with better staffing and provide help lines for children to report cases of abuses.
On the nature of the Children Parliament, Mrs Abieyuwa Efeomo, its speaker, revealed that the Parliament was established in 2015, aiming to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, but also called on the government to create awareness about the existence of the Family Court so that abused children could take full advantage of it.
She also decried the rate of child abuse and rape in the state, calling on the government to act against violence directed at children in the state.