An Ogun State based charity organisation, Jofunmi Loving Heart Foundation yesterday appealed to the federal and state governments to evolve a stiffer punishment for parents whose poor parenting forced their children into teen pregnancies.
With specific mentioning of those children in the age brackets of 14 to 16 years, Jofunmi Loving Heart Foundation said the best gift that the National Assembly would bequeath to any Nigerian child is to promulgate a special law that will make quality parenting responsibilities a must, while implementation of the existing Child Protection Laws is re-examined for ultimate performance.
The foundation’s project coordinator, Olusola Ojo made the advocacy while speaking with journalists during the year 2024 edition of the Children’s Day Celebration organized for children of the “hard-to-reach community” at Oladotun Community in the Abeokuta North local government area of the state.
Ojo, who spoke on behalf of the convener of the event, Ms. Ifedolapo Ojo said her foundation becomes seriously unsettled by the growing number of teenage pregnancies, particularly among children younger than 18 years across Ogun State, who were discovered to have been led into the situation by the failure of their parents at leading them aright.
Emphasizing that such punishment would form part of the measures to end the circle of teenage parenting, Ojo also appealed to the three tiers of government to give maximum attention to the existing educational policy that has denied Nigerian children their right to basic education.
“It is so embarrassing. Government should step up the teachings on sexual education programmes in our schools. This will enable the children to learn in school even when their parents failed at home.
“It is unfortunate that in Nigeria there exist laws, but most times, their implementation level is poor. But bringing the existence of these laws into the knowledge of the children while in school will enable them to know the extent and powers of the laws that protect them in society and not just make the laws. By that, they will be aware that they are fully protected from whatever injustice the society wants to offer them,” he said.