The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has warned against violation of child rights and urged parents to say no streets hawking.
Head of Special Duties Department, in the ministry, Mrs Nadia Soso-Muhammed, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja, during a sensitisation in commemoration of International Day for Street Children marked every April 12, organized by the Ministry on street Children and other partners across the world.
She said: “There are millions of children in the world whose lives are inextricably connected with public spaces: streets, buildings, and shopping Centers. Some of these children live on the streets, sleeping in parks doorways or bus shelters, they rely on the streets for survival and sustenance.
“It is a known fact that these vulnerable children are owed the care, protection, and above all, respect due to all children. Just like all children, street children have rights enshrined in the child rights convention, which has near universal ratification and support.
“In 2017, the United Nations have specifically acknowledged these children’s rights in a document called the general comment (No.21) on children in street situations,” she said.
The ministry who taken to the streets of Abuja carrying displayed placards and portraits which include ‘No To Street Hawking’; Say No To Child Labour ’; ‘Free Compulsory Education For All’; Right Life Survival and development ’, among others.
In her remarks, Saifullahi Khalid Usman, CEO of the young Ambassadors Against Drug Abuse Initiative and the Speaker of Street Children’s Parliament, noted that the vision of the group is to comprehensively address cross-cutting concerns of out- of -school, vulnerable and marginalized children, thereby providing them with a life of dignity
Usman who was represented by Nwankwo Esther, said: “It is a fact that all of us have one goal-to ensure our children live at homes, not on the streets.
“When children are on the street the nation is on the street, when hunger and anger hits the children on the street they will attack those at home making those at home running to the streets for safety.
“Thus at the end every one of us will be on the street. Let us do whatever we can to ensure that our children are no longer on the street by promoting and protecting the right of every child.”
