Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The deputy chief whip of the House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has said there is need for institutional collaboration towards finding justice for victims of child abuse, sexual and gender based violence.
Onyejeocha stated this in a statement, on Sunday, to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.
The lawmaker noted that the 2021 budget must be tailored towards prioritised intervention to issues affecting women and children.
According to her, the theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl child, ” My Voice, Our Equal,” is an indication that the right actions must be taken to insure the future of the girl child.
Besides, she stated that mental healt of the Girl child, especially girls living with disabilities, must be prioritized, with adequate resources deployed, so as to maximize the interventions needed to create enabling environment for them to attain their full potentials.
“In Nigeria, an estimated 20%–30% of our population are believed to suffer from mental disorders. This is a very significant number considering Nigeria has an estimated population of over 200 million. Presently, there are only 130 psychiatrists in Nigeria, which has a population of 200 million and counting.
“Schools were closed as part of necessary measures to curtail the spread of Covid-19 and that means children may no longer have that sense of structure and stimulation that is provided by that environment, and now they have less opportunity to be with their friends and get that social support that is essential for good mental well-being. The realities are staring us in the face and begging for action.
“Hence, more proactive moves must be made to put legislations that will further prepare and enhance the mental health and educational sector of our country in order to aid the mental well-being of our children especially the girl child.
“I strongly advocate and insist that It is crucial to keep making demands on institutional collaboration towards finding justice for victims of child abuse and sexual and Gender-based violence irrespective of the laws been made because it takes strategic collaborations to curb the monstrous and inhuman acts against the girl child who is often the victim of such acts,” Onyejeocha stated.