Child Abuse - The War Against Posterity

Our children have become victims of abuse,directly or indirectly. Children, who are undoubtedly the hope of our future are receiving from every corner, haphazard care. The snootiness meted to them is actually going out of hand. We have all gone to the extent of engaging in the hara-kiri of our own future and hope. Pitiably, we are sincerely unaware and insensitive to their sufferings. This abuse has manifested in our inability to holistically take proper care of our younger generation and has transcended to a bloody war against posterity.

Unlike the desire of some families without issues, some women are comfortable with not having children. Some of them that eventually get pregnant choose to abort, others who succeed in putting to bed, try to sniffle life out of their babies. We usually hear the stories of mothers who discard their babies for reasons best known to them. The reason being that they got unwanted pregnancies that were products of their illicit relationships. The abuse of children begins at conception and spans to adulthood.

The developmental stages of a child's life is inundated with many unfair treatments in many 3rd world countries including Nigeria. Nigeria's case being unique and remarkably legendary, has become cultural. It is seen as a normal way of life without any effort to tackle it. The verisimilitude of our child care projects is nothing but a mirage.

When a child is born, he or she is supposed to be given good care in preparation for the challenges ahead, but this is obviously not available for them. Some mothers ardently refuse to thoroughly breastfeed their babies,even when it appears that exclusive breastfeeding is better for a child's upkeep. Female genital mutilation has been a source of abuse for the girl child, who lives all her life with the trauma. This is a barbaric act against womanhood. Mothers have a greater role to play. They should forget about themselves(their physique) and breastfeed our hope for the future.

Children are given out as slaves while they are supposed to be in school. Some families that are merely 'child factories' find it difficult to carter for all their many children. Their only option becomes to give out their children as slaves for a token. These children are battered in their new homes and subjected to untold hardship. Their mistresses send them out to hawk on the streets, exposing them to a series of mishaps,including rape and brutalism. The girls get pregnant for the hooligans on the streets.

Evidently, child rape has become a thorn in our flesh, as our children are constantly abused sexually and are no longer safe from even their fathers, siblings and loved ones. Pure sodomy! Incest and other forms of sex abuse should be urgently addressed to save our children,the regrets for existing.

Children are often forced into marrying people old enough to be their parents. When they eventually get to their homes,they are turned to slaves and incubators for hatching children. Their so-called husbands leave them for other women. They are 'panel-beaten' whenever they complain about the unfair treatment meted to them. Parents should desist from finding and forcing partners on their children,not even for business,friendship or any other selfish reason.

Education is the right of every child. An educated child is the joy of any good meaning society. Our children are left on the streets. Most of them turn out to be touts,criminals and kidnappers,who give us heart-attack. Their intransigent lives become a source of worry for everyone. Modalities should be put in place to instill in our children,the enthusiasm for education. Anything that can be done to whet their interest in this regard,should be done.

The government is not left out in this abuse. To a large extent,goverment has contributed to the abuse. When workers are not paid,their children suffer. The unpaid workers are the parents of these children. Imagine a situation where they are not paid for up to nine months,the parents could be forced to send their children out for hawking or slavery. Our leaders are insensitive to the necessary structures needed for good child education while their own children are in schools abroad for their own education. The tuition fees are high, there are no classrooms,no teachers. The available teachers/lecturers are not well paid, leading to incessant strike actions that have not helped matters. Hospitals are shut due to doctors' strike, thus increasing the mortality rate of our children and their mothers.

Innocent children are falsely accused of witchcraft. Let's not allow ourselves to be confused by mere superstition.

Children have their rights, just like any other person. Theirs should not be swept under the carpet. Their survival, developmental, protective and participation rights should be given to them.They should be adequately immunized.The child rights law should be adopted and enforced nationwide.