With child abuse and domestic violence on the rise in the country, governments at all levels have been encouraged to renovate and build juvenile centres and Government-Private run Safe Shelters for victims, especially children and teens who are victims of sexual gender based violence and domestic violence.
The advise was given by the National Association of Seadogs, Pyrates Confraternity Vito Corsica Deck during her 2020 Annual Feast of Barracuda Public Lecture titled ”CHILD RIGHTS” – The House-help As A Metaphor Of Abuse.
The leader of the Vito Corsica Deck, Dr. John Emethilue, said that the Pyrates Confraternity was aimed at upholding human dignity and the promotion of a just, humane and progressive society.
Dr. Emethilue noted that the Lecture was designed to identify and discuss some of the contemporary socio-political or economic issues militating against the attainment of a just and egalitarian society, with a view to proffering practicable solutions.
In her lecture, award winning Journalist, Ejiro Umukoro, highlighted critical gaps in the orphanages, private shelters, and remand homes currently run in Delta State and Nigeria in general.
Using pictures and stories of the horrors house helps in Nigeria go through, Umukoro said the ‘house help’ is the most dehumanized person in Nigeria with no protection and defense.
The discussants agreed on the need for more stringent laws and monitoring of orphanages in the State and Nigeria at large for.
Dr. Kemi Da-Silver Ibru said that Nigeria records 10,000 daily reports on violence against girls and women, especially sexual assault, and human trafficking.
The Chair Woman of the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ Delta State, Comrade Patricia Gbemudu said that the Child Rights Committee should respond more quickly to cases of girls and women abuse.
The Director-General, Orientation Bureau Eugene Uzum, called on Civil Society Organisations for more support, while Bridget Anyafulu, Executive Assistant to the State Governor emphasized that it is the responsibility of the government to provide social amenities for the populace.
For her part, Hajia Rafatu Salami called for a framework to address the needs of house helps in terms of labour laws, terms of contracts, rest hours, entitlement to holidays.
Contributing, Moses Onoriode Agwere Esq, emphasized the need to have Committee on Househelp to be set up, stressing that orphanages must be accessed by government to get data across 25 LGAs in Delta State to help Civil Society Organisations, the media and other organisations have open access to these data too.