Edo State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Dan Samuel Okon has Commended the Edo State Government for enforcement of the child right law in the state and the State Ministry of Youth and Gender Issues for reconciling a 13 years old missing child with her parents
Speaking during the handing over of the child to the father at the Ministry of Youth and Gender Issues in Benin City, the Commandant thanked the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki for his interventions in protecting and assisting trafficked persons and the Ministry of Youth and Gender Issues for collaborating with the force in this case.
“This is a great achievement for the state. I want to call on well meaning members of the public that when we come across issues of this nature it is good that we report. If you find missing children or children about to be trafficked, you should report because everyone has a role to play,” he noted.
The Commissioner for Youth and Gender Issues, Hon. Andrew Adaze Emwanta Esq. disclosed that this would have been a clear case of human trafficking but that is not the case, because there was an understanding and the guardian were responsible for her education.
He said, “Nkechi who is a primary six student of Victory Primary School in Benin was not just comfortable staying with the guardian and she left the house. It was a good Samaritan who saw her and took her to ITV and she was brought to the Ministry that alerted the NSCDC. It was after the conclusion of the investigation that recommendations were made that her biological parents should be invited.
“Today’s event is unique because every child is a leader of tomorrow. A child of 13 is already a teenager who must be protected. It is the duty of government to protect the vulnerable ones among us. I must quickly thank ITV for their partnership and the role played by the media in all of this.
“Today’s event is unique for two reasons. First, we have been able to identify the biological father of the girl, Nkechi and the guardian she was staying with in Benin. It is quite unfortunate that this child was allowed to go missing because if she was under proper custody, I don’t think we would be here.
“If the guardian were up to the task of meeting her needs, the issue of whether or not to remain with the guardian would not have become an issue because when somebody is placed in your custody you now step into the shoes of the parents.
“It is that failure that led to her leaving the house and I am happy that the Civil Defense and the ITV through their intervention she is here today” he noted.
He added that, “Before we are going to hand her over to her biological father it must be with an undertaking. As a person I take particular interest in this Childs welfare. As Commissioner for Youth and Gender Issues I also want to play a role to ensure that She goes back to school.
“As for her education, I will pay for her school uniform and the text books she would use for the new session in the school where she would register just to encourage the parents to put her in school and subsequently, I expect the father to save money to pay for her education,” the Commissioner added.
While noting that it is quite unfortunate that the guardian could not play the role of parents, the Commissioner said, “when a child of this age is under your custody, that person is your child. It is not a duty you owe that child, but you owe that duty to the state because whatever happens to that child you will be held responsible. Edo State Government has zero tolerance for any form of gender-based violence, the child right act has clear provisions of the right of the child.”
Hon. Emwanta who told the father to take her education seriously because the girl is very intelligent, warned that, “My worry is that if you do not take care of this child and the government takes her, you will not have access to the child again. It is a very serious issue because government has the duty of protecting her under the child right law,
When interviewed Nkechi disclosed that she was sent to Aba by her parents where she was not willing to stay, they brought her back to the house and after some time she was handed over to somebody who gave her to another person.
“She is too young to go through that kind of trauma. You will sign the undertaking, because we are giving you the second chance and we would monitor her welfare,” the Commissioner added
The Commissioner insisted that an undertaking must be made that she must continue her education in Imo state where the father lives, her welfare given utmost priority by her father and on no account should any body maltreat her because of this particular incident.
The father, Anayo Nwangwu, a Keke rider In Imo State who said he gave her daughter to his sister who later gave her to another family in Benin promised to abide by the undertaking made to ensure Nkechi who has other six siblings go to school and he thanked the Ministry for Youth and Gender Issues for all they have done to reunite him with his daughter.
