Lawyer Decries Violation Of Child Rights Law

A Port Harcourt-based
lawyer and human rights activist, Barr. Jackson Assor, has decried the continual violation of child rights law in Rivers State.
Barr. Assor, who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt Monday, remarked that child rights law had been dormant as parents were not prosecuted over the violation of the children’s rights.
He criticised parents for allowing the children of school age to hawk goods during school hours and noted that the child right law had failed because of poor prosecution of offenders.
Barr. Assor pointed out that because parents were hardly prosecuted, they had continued to violate the child rights law with impunity.
He said that it had become common place for children of school age to loiter about during school hours, while many of them engaged in menial job to earn a living.
According to him, “we must not squander the future out of carelessness or recklessness. There must be a deliberate effort on the part of parents to secure the future of their children as posterity will not forgive them over their failure to bring their children in the proper way.
He said there was free primary and secondary education in the state and expressed surprise that some could still not send their children to school.
The Port Harcourt lawyer noted that unless drastic action was taken in the area of prosecution, nobody should expect change in that regard.
He implored the Rivers State Government to prosecute offenders as it would act as deterrent to others.
Barr. Assor called upon all to support the child rights law by reporting violation promptly.
He noted that apart from the violations that were seen on the streets, domestic violations were worse.

Chidi Enyie