THE drama presentation by a group of children to commemorate the Day of the African Child, last Saturday, at the Women Development Centre, Abuja, aptly captured the theme for this year's event- Combating Child Trafficking.

The drama presentation was that of Mama Chidi - a poor village woman - who had decided to hand over her son to her Lagos-based aunty who is a business woman. The aunty, who noticed the poverty state her niece and her family lived when she visited them, gave her poor relative some money. She later offered to take Chidi - one of her niece's children- along with her while returning to Lagos. But, the aunty turned out to a child trafficker.

She was arrested by policemen, who traced her to the village all the way from Lagos, after they had arrested one of her aides who gave her away. Mama Chidi, who wanted to hand over her son, was rudely shocked when the policeman arrested her aunty and was told she would be charged for child trafficking after one of her assistants was caught with 10 children she was attempting to smuggle to the Republic of Benin. Mama Chidi had feared that her aunty, probably, wanted to take her son away for the same purpose and promptly took him back in the presence of the policeman.

The message that was conveyed by the drama was to sensitise the audience against the practice of handing over children to people living in distant places since such children may end up being exploited or trafficked. The drama presentation attracted an ovation from the audience at main hall which was filled with school children from different parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Nigerian children's parliament sat the previous day and deliberated on the theme for this year. June 16 was chosen as the Day of the African Child by the African Union to commemorate the day thousands of black South African children were killed in Soweto by policemen during the era of racial discrimination that was known as the Apartheid in that country.

The Nigerian Children's Parliament had, during its deliberations, advocated the adoption of stiffer laws to punish culprits involved in the abuse of the rights of children. The parliament had resolved that the penalty for child trafficking should be increased from 14 years imprisonment to life jail for offenders. This was disclosed by the President of the Parliament, Ibrahim Adamu, while reading his speech after the drama presentation.

He also advocated that the Almajiri system of education, which prevails in the northern part of the country, be incorporated into the nation's educational system.

According to him: "The Children's Parliament also resolved that a national emergency should be declared against child trafficking because no child is safe until every child is safe".

Adamu further stated that the Parliament advocates that education should be totally free for children so that they would be occupied, adding that this would go a long way in reducing the ugly incidence of child trafficking in the country.

Other dignitaries who were at the event were the Executive Director of the National Human Rights Commission, Mrs. Kehinde Ajoni, a representative of the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Ayalew Abai, a representative of the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Alhaji Samaila Makama, and a representative of Dr. Rosemary Abdullahi, Director, Child Development Department Federal Ministry of Women's Affairs and Social Development. Indeed, last week was dedicated to the cause of African children. Penultimate Tuesday, UNICEF had extended the tenure of the legendary football hero, Nwankwo Kanu, for another two years at a ceremony in Lagos.

At the event, 10 year old children's representative, who identified himself as Femi Olowolayemo, had expressed views similar to what Adamu later said at Abuja. He had complained that many Nigerians don't spare a thought for the plight of children in the country. A pupil of Zenith Kiddies School, Shomolu, Lagos, Master Olowolayemo, had complained to Vanguard Features (VF) thus: "People send children to hawk things along the streets without caring about them".

However, he believed that UNICEF had given Nigerian children hope for the future.

"It was from UNICEF that I learnt that children are the hope of the future," he informed.

He further stated that he looked forward to more organisations collaborating with UNICEF in playing the kind of role it has been involved in protecting and promoting the welfare of children.

Throwing more light on the role UNICEF has played in his institution, so far, he said the organisation has assisted the school in establishing child right clubs, adding that teachers in his school normally taught the pupils how to fight for their rights in a normal and decent way.

In response to a question, he said: "Children's rights include survival rights, health rights and protection and parental care rights. Others include leisure and education rights."

Indeed, the plight of Nigerian children who are being denied their rights to education was a major concern for Kanu, the celebrated Nigerian footballer, when he spoke at the occasion. He expressed regret that millions of Nigerian children were out of school.

Said he: "I am aware of millions of children who are out of school and have to work for their daily bread. There are those who live on the streets. Children are even trafficked to other countries for a lifetime of exploitation and abuse. These things should not be so".

The high mortality rate among Nigerian children was also a source of worry for Kanu.

He said he was aware that one in every five children born in Nigeria today will die before reaching the age of five.

He continued: "I know that about 1.8 million children are orphaned by HIV/AIDS and the bulk of them are on their own, with nobody to help".

Kanu said, as a UNICEF ambassador, he visited a community last year and was shocked by the number of orphans and vulnerable children he saw.

"Those children have very little hope for the future," he said.

The footballer said it was possible to put every Nigerian child in school , provide universal immunisation for them and protect them from harm and abuse.

He continued: "We need to get our priorities right. If we have the political will, it is not only our leaders that can address the situation of children, but all of us, the celebrities, the ordinary people, the private companies, the media and all people of goodwill".

Kanu called on the private sector which has huge resources to provide assistance.

He continued: "There are several causes to choose from which includes education, child survival, HIV/AIDS, protection, water and sanitation."

He further stated that there is a lot to do and posterity will judge us not by the wealth we accumulated but what we gave back to society, especially to children, adding that this is where our investment should be, not just on our children, but those of the larger society.

Kanu recalled that two years ago, he was approached by UNICEF to be its Goodwill Ambassador for Nigerian children, adding that he considered it an honour because UNICEF doesn't just pick anybody to play the role.