Gombe official raises alarm over child labour on farmlands
The Director, Joseph Markus, Child Welfare Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has lamented the increase of underaged girls for cheap labour on the farmlands.
Markus made this revelation in his address on Tuesday, at a media roundtable organised by Save the Children International towards ending child marriage in the state.
According to the Director, the situation is gaining momentum across, stressing that certain privileges he enjoys as a person came through education.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that issues pertaining to girl child is given deserved priority, adding that
Markus said, “As we were coming from Kumo this morning with the speaker(children’s parliament), I saw groups of girls waiting for those that will come and hire them, take them to the farms work for the whole day from morning to night.
“Can’t we be kind to them, can’t we provide support for them. I told the speaker, speaker see your people. We have been agitating, advocating to those in government as well as the legislators to help us pass this legal frame work so that we will have something to lean on. So that we can fight this fight.
“At the moment I can shake hands with the governor, dine with him because I have gone to school but for school. Education is a tool.”
Markus also reminded relevant stakeholders to ensure the domestication of Child Rights Act (CRA), as well as the implementation of framework towards ending child marriage in the state.
“The question is are the lawmakers seeing the young as they are used for labour. Just last week a four-year old was defiled, the question is if she was my daughter how will I feel, if she was your child how will you feel ?
“We are neglecting what our holy books say about taking care of each other. I enjoin all of us to put heads and energy together towards providing enabling environment for these kids,” he added.
Also speaking, Abdullahi Hussaini bemoaned the failure of parents to utilize the free basic education in the state.
He called on government to constitute task force towards making education compulsory.
“Government should inaugurate task force that will make school attendance compulsory as well as making hawking activities by children punishable by law,” Hussaini said.
Also, Alhassan Yahya, the Executive Director, Saif Advocacy Foundation, while lauding current efforts by stakeholders, urged them to set agenda in challenging the government on the state education.
On his part, Speaker, Children’s Parliament Umar Abdullahi, tasked government to ensure speedy domestication of Child Rights Act to protect the rights of children in the state, adding that employment of more female teachers to encourage school attendance.
He advised that more schools should be established within the communities to reduce long-distance between schools and homes.
Abdullahi said, “many parents don’t support their girls going to schools because of insecurity. Parents are afraid when their girls are going or coming back from school.
“I don’t feel good when girls are not educated. It is the right of every citizen to be educated. So why should the girls be denied this right? I call on the Government to please look at girls education in Gombe State and find a solution.”
