Blog

Labour

By Oluwatope Lawanson

Lagos, June 30, 2024 (NAN) Driven by necessity and desperation as well as ignorance,  many families have turned to child labour.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics and the Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey’s report,  there are estimated 8.7 million child labourers in Nigeria.

The International Labour Organisation also reports that 160 million children aged five to seven worldwide are in child labour and about 79 million perform hazardous works that place their mental health, emotional health, safety and development at risk.

On Sunday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) spoke with some people who suffered but survived  child labour.

Rose, an indigene of Burutu Local Government Area of Delta, shared her experiences as a victim of child labour in the past.

“I am from a polygamous home.  My father had seven wives and 49 children with little resources to take care of us and no luxury of love and affection.

“At a very young age, we were sent to live with relatives we believed had the resources to give us a better future.

“My mother sent me to Warri to live with her elder sister who l regard as my grandma but she later sent me to Benin to live with my old cousin, at age six.

“This was where my woes of child abuse and child labour began. At that young age, l must wake up as early as 4.30 a. m.

“I was saddled with the responsibility of house chores, taking care of her two kids, and her dogs before going late to school, ” she said.

Rose is today the Founder of Real Life Issues with Rosey’, an initiative borne out of childhood experiences, especially child labour/abuse.

She narrated that she experienced several forms of child/physical abuse.

“There was no day l did not have scars on my body, and l usually cried until I  slept.

“I was called unprintable names, my results from school were seized and I was made to believe l could not amount to anything in life.

“I later summoned courage and moved out of my cousin’s house and came to Lagos with my grandmother’s son,” she narrated.

Rose later got admission into the University of Lagos to study Public Administration.

She regretted that due to the trauma she experienced as a victim of child labour/abuse, she lacked self confidence, and low self esteem.

According to her,  child abuse leads to anger and frustration.

“You feel everybody does not like you, which makes you angry, leading to violence and defending yourself against nothing.

“It leaves one broken, not believing in oneself.

“In the university, l struggled with low self esteem, felt intimidated, and was not bold enough to mingle or relate with my mates.”

She advised parents to take  good care of their children and avoid giving  them out to relatives or others.

She urged that if any parents must  send their children to live with relatives or strangers, they must ensure regular communication with the children for effective monitoring.

Rose also urged governments to strengthen  child labour laws, increase enforcement, and hold perpetrators accountable.

She advised victims of child labour/abuse to speak up.

On her part, Miss Yetunde Ojelade, an indigene of Ogun, described her child labour experience as  terrible.

“My mother gave birth to two girls but due to irreconcilable differences with her partner, he chased us out.

“At my young age, l lived with family friends who pretended to help while I was working for them, but I experienced sexual harassment on different occasions, ” she said.

She told NAN that  later, God  helped her to connect with another family where she stayed afterwards.

“It has been bliss for the past seven years l have been with this family as they see me as one of them,” he said.

Yetunde advised victims of child labour to speak up, adding that they should seek help and be hopeful of a better future.

Also speaking with NAN, Mr Andrew Adaji, Group Project Manager  of Devatop Centre for Africa Development, an anti-human trafficking and human rights organisation, urged  governments to strengthen enforcement of laws and implementation of policies protecting children against exploitation.

He also called on governments, organisations and individuals to intensify efforts in ending child labour and ensuring children’s rights to education, health and a safe environment.

“The should ensure children’s rights are protected and provide access to quality education, vocational training, and empower children to develop skills and pursue their passions,” he urged. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

LAW/IGO
=========

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola

Expert urges intervention of professionals to contain spread of Cholera

Cholera
Opeyemi Gbemiro
Ado-Ekiti, June 30, 2024 (NAN) An expert in development strategies, Mr Micheal Ale, has advised the Federal and State Governments to urgently engage professionals in finding immediate solution to the cholera outbreak in parts of the country.

Ale, who is the Founder, Global Initiative for Nigeria Development, an NGO, gave the advice in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti and made available to newsmen on Sunday.

According to him, apparent lapses in development plans and strategies, particularly resulting in poor access to portable, safe water, heavy flooding and the lack of post-epidemic surveillance, among other factors, is largely responsible for the outbreak of the disease.

He said, as an expert, he was moved by the deadly health hazards, which the epidemic had posed to many lowly placed Nigerians, and more of possible negative consequences, if drastic actions were not taken in record time.

“Nigeria is prone to a variety of factors that lead to recurring cholera outbreaks.

“These include the lack of access to potable (safe to drink) water.

“Safe water is needed to maintain good hygiene practices.

“Other factors are the lack of continued surveillance, even after the outbreak had ended, flooding, poverty (although currently cholera treatment is free in all government facilities).

“The rest are the lack of health facilities and infrastructure for water supply and waste disposal, illiteracy and conflict, leading to overcrowded conditions for displaced people,” Ale said.

He said that beyond inviting professionals for intervention, “Government at all levels must realise that prevention against future occurrence would always depend on the volume of access to clean water, sanitation, proper waste disposal, personal hygiene, food safety practices, community engagement and awareness campaigns on how to prevent cholera infection.

“Nearly more than half of Nigeria’s population do not have access to basic water supply.

“This is partly because of the loopholes in the law.

“The bitter truth is that government alone cannot supply Nigerians, safe water.

“Government should involve the private sector players in their planning and intervention to achieve result,” Ale said.

He also said: “Aside administering vaccines to persons in highly endemic area, it’s important that Government invites private  practitioners in the drilling of boreholes to immediately undertake professional drilling in areas, where water is scarce.

“Cholera outbreak is a sign of underfunding of the water sector in Nigeria, perhaps the funding was misappropriated.

“This needs to be looked into proactively.

“Because of it’s endemic nature, Water Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) experts all over the world will readily be available to render pro bono service in areas of great concern, once called upon.

“The WASH Practitioners Without Border should also form part of the emergency interventions and they will be expected to help in supervising and drilling of boreholes as well as assist in properly sanitising contaminated boreholes.”

Ale also created public enlightenment on the causes and prevention of cholera through his organisation’s awareness campaign.

He warned against errors, capable of making the epidemic to spread.

He said: “Contaminated water and not filtering and boiling unsafe water before drinking, or drinking sachet water that is not treated, can cause cholera.

“It also spreads when an infected persons defecate outside, and contaminated faeces are washed into the water system that people drink from.

Ale further warned against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and irregular disposal of sewage, enabling flies to carry the bacteria to water or food.

He advised against overcrowded conditions, such as internally displaced persons’ camps, refugees and prisons, with no access to safe water.

He said that food handlers, who prepare drinks, such as tigernut or zobo, with contaminated water, can also spread cholera too.

“The Lagos State Government recently mentioned these local drinks, as suspected sources of the latest outbreak.

“Nonetheless, it is still an embarrassment to the government to have cholera in 2024, meaning Nigerians should expect other related water-borne diseases.

“Cholera is a sign of poverty, which is identified with low life style.

“The 1991 rate was high, due to very poor sanitation and hygiene strategies.

“Little or no surveillance was in place, and there was no community engagement or education on the dangers of the disease.

“This situation must not be allowed to repeat itself,” Ale said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng).

OPA/ARIS
Edited by Idowu Ariwodola