By Ashu Manfred
The Senior Divisional Officer for Meme, Koulbout Aman David has threatened to sanction parents or guardians who exploit or abuse their children or children under their care below the age of 14.
This warning especially goes to parents /guardians who send out their children during school periods or after 6pm to hawk in restaurants, coffee shops and other areas.
In a letter captioned “Radio Announcement” and dated 15 April 2014, a copy of which kumbazine obtained, the SDO observed that his technical competent services have informed him that, despite various forms of sensitization and education to reduce the phenomenon of child abuse and exploitation some parents and guardians persistently violate the fundamental rights of children under them.
Day and night, the SDO’s letter reads, “we find minors below 14 years moving in the streets of Kumba, especially in off licenses, bars, snacks stores, markets and parks selling things or helping their parents and guardians in the restaurants, coffee shops, fish roasting and selling of puff-puff during odd hours”.
The SDO letter, later went on to explain that, these vulnerable and innocent children face or are exposed to all forms of aggression, violence and insecurity such as theft, rape, assault, prostitution, delinquency and even death, adding that this dangerous form of exploitation and abuses by parents and guardians are against the Cameroon policy on child abuse and protection which contributes to tarnish the image of Cameroon, at the moment when Cameroon’s illustrious and beloved president His Excellency president Paul Biya is counting on the dynamic youth population for the emergent of Cameroon in the year 2035.
Against that backdrop, the SDO in his letter further called on the population of Kumba in his words to systemically denounce all forms of exploitation and abuse of children.
He went ahead to give a sound warning to parents or guardians who persistently exploit and abuse their children under their responsibility for their selfish interests and that any minor, below the age of 14 who will be found in town during school hours or after 6pm will be caught and sent to the forces of Law and Order or to the Divisional Delegation of social Affairs.
Such parents or guardians he averred, would be sanctioned according to the Cameroon Laws on child protection and parental responsible parenthood.
Some. Human rights organization and responsible parents in Kumba have hailed, have loudly hailed the SDOs decision.
Mr. Samuel Egbe Tabe, a teacher from the Full Gospel Secndary School, FUGOSEC, Mbonge road told kumbazine that the decision is the best because some parents especially those who do not have good educational background are seriously blinded by their search for money and so put their children at risk. He continued that it is only by the Grace of God that these children have been some men of the world because they are completely exposed.
But the greatest part of the population have kept their fingers crossed, watching and waiting to see if this decision will be implemented. n that has become a country where laws are made in the morning and abrogated or rescinded in the evening, it is doubtful whether the SDO’s order would be followed let alone executed by services charged with its implementation.
Leave a Reply