The most widely read newspaper in Nigeria
tells the story of how child maids suffer at the hands of ruthless employers amid laws against child labour and abuse
Since she was her husband’s next of kin, the banks came for her head, asking that she started servicing the loan. It was almost Christmas that year and she said she needed the rest, fleeing from all her creditors in Uyo. “My daughter had always been an independent person who lived on her own even while she was under my roof. She did not talk much. Unlike Ufonobong, her younger sister, Mmeyene was utterly quiet, and I was scared of releasing her to anyone but what do I do?” Glory asked as she hissed, shrugging.She had informed the new pastor of a local church she attended in the village and he told her that the meeting should be held in the church.
Worried that she might be making a wrong decision, she spoke to her mother, Uwak, who told her that there was nothing wrong with that as long as she received her pay. She said she almost did not want to give her child up but as she remembered that she had three more mouths to feed, including hers, she put one leg in front of the other and handed Mmeyene over to the Okories.As her daughter turned her back and walked into the car, Glory said she cried in stifling silence.
She kept trying the phone number given to her by the Okories but it was not connecting. It went straight to a voicemail after beeping for a few seconds. “I begged her to manage my child because I thought Mmeyene was being difficult, as she was always used to luxury. I was also busy fighting my late husband’s business partners with the police but without money, you know how things go in this country? I never knew my daughter was going through hell in Port Harcourt,” Glory said with tears welling up.
According to the mother of four, the Okories did not have the courtesy to visit her to explain why her first child was not there with them. “My other child was seven years old and I knew that it was a bad decision to make her go stay with these people who I couldn’t call except they called me, but I needed my daughter to have a better life than I was giving her.
She, however, claimed that she got an alert of N80,000 in January. She told her mother, Uwak, who had become very sick, and she said she had a bad feeling about the girls, adding that she should go and get back her kids. It was also clear that the two girls did not go to school and they were kept in solitary confinement without access to communication to the outside world.
Pastor Theophilus, according to Glory, offered to take two of her children in while she went in search of the others.She said when she got to the address given to her by Theophilus and she saw the large black gate with high fences, she knew she had to take her children back with her.When she said she was the mother of the girls who stayed with her, mentioning their names, the security said nobody with the names lived in the apartment.
She said the police dragged the matter and involved a lawyer, who told her to collect a settlement for her daughters. She also alleged that she started receiving death threats. “You know I did not go to school. My National Certificate of Education, I have not even finished it since 2005. I am a nobody; I don’t want any problem with big people,” she said.could reach out to the Okories to get a response from Glory was abortive.When our correspondent called and introduced himself, the voice from the other end said, “Go on; I am listening to you.”
The Benue man said he met Ujunwa through a family friend, Mrs Mary Okoroafor, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in March 2022. “I decided to give my biological daughter, Precious, to Ujunwa. Mary connected Ujunwa to me and we discussed it over the phone. “Ujunwa discussed with the driver and they finalised how they were going to pick her up and take her home,” he toldHe noted that he never suspected any maltreatment from Ujunwa for the five months Precious lived with her before the unfortunate incident that led to her death, as she always called her on video to ask if anything was wrong.
The Bureau of International Labour Affairs in its Child Labour and Forced Labour Report noted that in 2021, Nigeria made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. Many are sent off by their parents as maids at a very tender age and they go through debilitating working conditions.
In addition, the minimum age for work in the Labour Act does not apply to children who are self-employed or working in the informal economy. “Significantly increase the number of labour inspectors to meet the ILO’s technical advice. Ensure that a mechanism exists for enforcing existing protections for children working in the informal sector. Ensure that there are penalties imposed for the worst forms of child labour.
The police later rescued the girl who was taken into custody to ensure her safety where she was receiving treatment in a hospital. “NAPTIP currently operates eight such shelters across the country with a stay time limited to six weeks. It stated, “ Subject to this Act, no child shall be subjected to any forced or exploitative labour or employed to work in any capacity except where he is employed by a member of his family on light work of an agricultural, horticultural or domestic character; or required, in any case, to lift, carry or move anything so heavy as to be likely to adversely affect his physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development; or employed as a domestic help outside his own home or family environment.
“Any person who contravenes any provision of subsection or of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N50,000 or imprisonment for a term of five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
UNILAG launches centre for clinical trials | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsThe University of Lagos (UNILAG), College of Medicine, has inaugurated the Centre for Clinical Trials, Research and Implementation Science (CCTRIS), to enhance capacity in medical research.
Read more »
Customs to generate $200bn from TMP | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsNigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Thursday, said that the service will generate over $200 billion revenue in the next 20 years through the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP).
Read more »
Firm bolsters trade relations with business partners | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsMouka has strengthened trade relationships with its business partners and fulfilling its promise by taking 50 of them on trip to Morocco in May. The firm's Chief Commercial Officer, Dimeji Osingunwa, during a trade conference in Lagos recently....
Read more »
PSG to face Ronaldo on Japan summer tour | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsParis Saint-Germain will face Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr and Champions League finalists Inter Milan in summer friendlies in Japan, the French title-holders said Friday.
Read more »
Zamfara governor Dauda Lawal denies declaring N9trillion assets | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsThe governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has denied a report that claims he declared 9 trillion naira in cash, investment and property assets. Lawal, who was sworn in on Monday, May 29th spoke on Thursday during an interview with the Radio France International (RFI) Hausa. According to Lawal, the people of Zamfara State will […]
Read more »
Heavy security presence in Senegal after deadly clashes | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsSenegalese authorities on Friday deployed security forces around the capital Dakar, a day after an outburst of violence left nine people dead following the conviction of opposition politician Ousmane Sonko.
Read more »