By Halima Aliyu Omaku and Bilkisu M.Usman

Nasarawa State Government has been called upon to embark on public enlightenment on the consequences of child abuse.

This call was made by a director in the state ministry of justice, Barrister Ishaku Usman in a paper he presented on the topic "Child abuse and its effect in the society" at a one-day sensitization workshop on child abuse and exploitation, organised by the orientation department of the state Ministry of Information and Orientation in collaboration with United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) at the Ibrahim Abacha Youth Centre Lafia, recently.

Barrister Usman said child abuse has emerged as one of the greatest social problems facing almost all societies across the globe today.

He said over the past three decades in many homes, many hungry children were found "n the cold, dark flats, sexually, physically and emotionally abused by a society that has failed to protect their rights."

According to him, this has drawn the attention of scholars, professionals and other stakeholders into a debate in order to identify and stop the ugly trend of child abuse.

Mrs. S. Ojo of the Nasarawa state polytechnic, Lafia who presented a paper titled "Child Labour and its implication on national development" said that proper education of the child should remain the panacea to future development of the nation.

He lamented that most families in Nigeria have no access to good health care, food, shelter and education, and warned that the nation could wake up one day without intellectuals and skilled manpower to manage its affairs.

He advised government to improve the socio-economic condition of the family, and that education should be compulsory for every child of the nation from primary to secondary levels.

Earlier in his speech, the commissioner of information and orientation, Alhaji Abdulahi M. Aliyu who was represented by the permanent secretary Mr. Daniel Anjugu reiterated the resolve of the administration of Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma to continue to do everything within its capability and capacity to strengthen the right of the child in the state.

Alhaji Abdullahi urged the participants to take active part in the deliberation so as to come up with a working document that would assist the state government to achieve its resolve to protect the rights of the child.

He said the state government has already made progress in ensuring that infant and child mortality rate in the state was reduced to the barest minimum through provision of necessary health care services with emphasis on development of primary health care.

Also speaking at the occasion, senor special assistant to the government on inter-governmental and multilateral co-operations, Alhaji Usman Ogah noted that the struggle towards achieving the protection of the rights of the child could only succeed through a collective approach of both the government, donor agencies and other stakeholders.