FIDA Rivers Celebrates 2024 Children’s Day.
By Katherine Abayomi, Port Harcourt
FIDA Rivers branch Joins the world in celebrating Children’s Day 2024 with the Theme: “Every Child Every Right”
Children’s Day reminds us of the importance of children in our society. It is set aside to raise awareness of the need to protect children’s rights, educate them, and ensure their protection.
In her Goodwill address, the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Fubara, stated that every child deserves to be loved and capable of love, as the theme portrays. Parents have a duty towards them as God has entrusted them into our care, also safeguarding their rights, bearing in mind their peculiarities and diversities.
She stated primary children’s rights as she admonished children to obey instructions and work hard in their studies.
The Commissioner of Women Affairs Rivers state, Dr Roseline Oranta, representing the governor’s wife, stated that children shouldn’t be involved in vices like drugs and substance abuse; instead, they should obey their parents, civic responsibility, and focus on studies.
In his keynote address, Karibi George Esq, who discussed safeguarding and the Rights of children in the digital world, spoke about the digital rights of children, stating that in the digital space, posting children’s pictures and exam results without their consent is a violation of their rights and that the pros outweigh the cons.
He mentioned that the enemy is not far away, owing to the belief that it’s only strange to target children in the digital world. Still, very often, the rights to privacy of children are violated by those who are very close to them. Notably, their parents post details of them on social media without regard for the implications of such posts.
“They expose the children to unsavory characters, kidnappers, and pedophiles. The digital world is exciting and also brutal, so caution should be taken, especially by those closest to them. This digital world is a place of learning and information, so the government, individuals, schools, parents, and corporations should allow children to operate in that world for their enlightenment and edification,” he states.
“The right safeguards should be placed either institutional, safeguards that the government will provide in the form of laws, Policies, or implementation, or taking personal responsibilities as a human being, knowing that you might be going beyond your bounds or that what you are doing may be declared unlawful and carry consequences. Having and sharing videos of children engaging in sex is an offense by provisions of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act 2015, and it is punishable by five years imprisonment, a 10 million Naira fine, or both. We should know the implications of our interactions in digital space and be better informed so as not to cause problems for one another”, he further advised.
The chairperson of FIDA Rivers State, Agatha Bio-Briggs, reinstated the need for parents to safeguard their children in this digital world and the rights they are obliged to. Parents and teachers should also take it upon themselves to educate children more about their rights.
The event was graced with different schools from the state, who led the audience in Drama, cultural displays, debate competitions, and a quiz.
