Adenike Grange Quotes

Many of the children of these ‘child mothers’ also succumb to malnutrition and preventable childhood diseases. These conditions in many cases lead to physical or mental retardation. Exposure to HIV/AIDS may further complicate the situation. Many societies have their own practices that have enjoyed wide social acceptance for many generations.

However, the retention of some of these practices is incompatible with the adoption of the democratic principles which we now accept as the guiding principles that will lead us to attain a lofty position among the first twenty world economies by the year 2020.

There is need to re-examine the contract of marriage that is based on violation of the rights of the girl child. Child marriages have gained acceptance in some cultures because the parents have put their selfish interest and needs first before those of the children.

They must be protected from physical, mental, sexual and other forms of abuse such as child trafficking and subjugation to hazardous labour. A child’s first few years are critical not only for survival, but for her or his optimal physical, intellectual and emotional development. Therefore, deprivations especially during this period greatly hamper children’s ability to achieve their full potential thus contributing to a society’s cycle of endless poverty, hunger and violence.

In conclusion, economic development alone cannot get us to the promised target year of 2020 as one of the first 20 leading economies of the world. Economic development must go hand in hand with socio-cultural and political development.

The parents must also have access to the type of education that will enable them to make the right choices in their occupational pursuits and family enhancement practices such as family planning.

Unfortunately, the current participation of young mothers as co-breadwinners has often led to the restriction of the time devoted to what is usually considered as their primary responsibility. This calls for greater flexibility in task sharing between couples especially in parenting. Of course, in polygamous relationships the arrangements could be even more complex. Whatever be the case, the Convention on the Rights of the Child to which Nigeria is a signatory stipulates that the welfare of the child must be the first consideration and decisions taken at all levels must be in the best interest of the child.

Fulfilling children’s rights by providing them with basic education, adequate nutrition, health care and protection from harmful practices, breaks this cycle. Their chances of survival and of a productive future are greatly increased – as are the chances of a truly fair and peaceful global society.

Over the years effective policies and programmes for establishment of Primary, secondary and tertiary facilities and institutions have been formulated to combat all health needs of the people but lack of efficient management has reduced the exercise to below average.

Vulnerability of children to ill-health can be markedly reduced by taking steps to respect, protect and fulfill child rights. This is indeed one of the significant hallmarks of good governance.

Enforcement of this policy helped mainly to reverse the widespread level of child abuse that existed in developed countries up to the beginning of the 20th Century. The second effective strategy employed in developed countries is the encouragement and support of couples to have only the number of children that they are able to take care of and provide for.

Although, in a democracy, relationships between consenting adults are based on personal choices, these choices are not acceptable when the relationship has to do with a minor who has not reached the age of consent. In such instances, all guardians of democracy must protect the rights of these children and others who, though they are adults, are also vulnerable by reason of retardation in their level of physical, mental or social circumstances.

Usually, the immediate caregivers of children are their mothers and it has been shown that the survival of children is dependent on the survival of their mothers who in turn has the major responsibility for ensuring that family practices do not jeopardize the survival of the breadwinner and other members of the family.

Governance is the control of power, policy and resources. Thus, good governance in any country is often judged by the degree of equitable access of all citizens to basic facilities irrespective of age, ethnicity, religion and other prevailing human and environmental parameters. In setting up the structures for improving the quality of life, there is a need for both rulers and the ruled to work together towards the achievement of their shared goals.

During the Victorian era in Britain, as illustrated by Oliver Twist, it was quite bleak for children in poor households. There was widespread deprivation and this meant that children were often forced to work long hours in hazardous occupations inside factories, down mines and up chimneys.