FG: Child Labour Abuse More Rampant in Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Adamawa

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government yesterday said it was in the process of rehabilitating and empowering 120 victims of child Labour in three states adjudged to be harbouring high number of cases.

It listed the states as Ebonyi, Adamawa and Nasarawa.

It said the discovery was as a result of a capacity building by the National Bureau of Statistics on data analysis and draft reporting for national child Labour/forced labour survey conducted in April.

Speaking during a workshop workshop for Labour reporters organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour in Abuja, the Director in the Inspectorate Department of the ministry, Mr. Olaolu Olaitan, said the ministry had listed 120 victims and vulnerable households in Ebonyi (36), Nasarawa (36) and Adamawa (48), who would be given grants in order to help rehabilitate and empower them.

Olaitan who spoke on the progress at checking child Labour law violations in the country said a total of 400 children of 15 years and below were recently rescued and are being rehabilitated in a facility in Info state.

Earlier, while declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary Mrs. Kachollom Daju,

said the mandate of the Ministry of Labour and Employment was beyond handling of crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and its employer as well as other unions.

She said it was important for Nigerians, through proper reportage to gain deep understanding of the functions, programmes, activities and achievements of the Ministry in the area of its mandates.

Specifically, she said the ministry ensures safety operations at workplace and healthy status of all the workers in both private and public establishments across the country.

Daju explained that the professional departments, in collaboration with the service departments, drive the ministry’s mandates to satisfy the delivery expectations of its customers.

Speaking on the theme of the workshop, “Effective reportage on the promotion of safety and health in the workplace”, she added that the professional departmental mandates were components of the overall mandates of the ministry.
She added, “Consequently, inadequate knowledge of the workings of these departments, which embody the essence of the ministry, would invariably lead to unsatisfactory reportage of their activities, and ultimately the ministry’s mandates.

“One of the ways to rectify this, is to equip you, Labour correspondents, with the necessary background information, which is integral to balanced, in-depth and impactful reportage. For this purpose, the workshop is expected to scale up and update your knowledge of this aspect of the Ministry’s mandates, for a corresponding effective and qualitative reportage on it.

“The workshop will also serve to refresh your memory, and bring you up to date, on the provisions of national laws and policies, as well as international laws and regulations on Occupational Safety and Health, especially ILO Conventions 155 and 187.

“As you may be aware, the 110th International Labour Conference (ILC), held this year in Geneva, added safety and health to the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

“The Occupational Safety and Health, and Inspectorate departments are at the helm of driving and delivering the Ministry’s mandate on the promotion of safe and healthy environment in the nation’s workplaces, through factory and labour inspections, and other activities and programmes.

“These two departments have significant roles to play in the success of Government’s policies and programmes in the labour sector, as they ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of workers through the enforcement of extant Labour laws.

“Therefore, it is important that the media understand some of their major work dynamics and how they deliver on this mandate.”