Nigerian Concord Newspaper
As Benue joins the rest of Nigeria in commemorating this year’s Children’s Day, flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, has called for urgent and deliberate action towards the protection, education, and welfare of children, stressing that the future of every society is ultimately determined by how well it nurtures and safeguards its younger generation.
In a statement, the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation noted that beyond the colourful celebrations and ceremonial activities associated with Children’s Day, there is a pressing moral and governmental responsibility to confront the painful realities facing thousands of children across Benue State, especially those displaced by recurring attacks, killings, and insecurity in several communities.
“Countless innocent Benue children have been forced out of their homes, schools, and communities, with many now growing up in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps where access to quality education, healthcare, nutrition, and a safe environment remains grossly inadequate”, he stated.
Chief Aondoakaa lamented that while many children are today celebrating in their homes and playgrounds, thousands of displaced Benue children are battling trauma, hunger, uncertainty, and hopelessness in makeshift camps. He emphasized that no child should have to exchange the comfort of a classroom for the hardship of a camp, or trade dreams of a bright future for the painful memories of violence and displacement.
“Every child deserves the right to dream, to learn, and to grow in peace and dignity. A society that abandons its children to fear, displacement, and hopelessness risks losing the very future it hopes to build,” Chief Aondoakaa stresses.
He further observed that the prolonged disruption of education in conflict-affected communities poses a grave danger not only to the future of the affected children but also to the long-term social and economic stability of Benue State. According to him, when children are denied education and exposed continuously to violence and hardship, the consequences inevitably extend to the wider society.
The PDP gubernatorial candidate stated that the plight of displaced children should not be treated as mere statistics or seasonal talking points, but as a humanitarian emergency requiring urgent intervention, compassion, and responsible leadership. He called on both the federal and state governments, development agencies, religious bodies, and good spirited Nigerians to work collectively towards restoring hope and dignity to displaced families and their children.
He therefore urged the government to take decisive and practical measures to end insecurity, rebuild devastated communities, rehabilitate schools destroyed by attacks, and establish special educational and psychosocial support programmes for children in IDP camps. He also advocated increased investment in child protection services, school feeding programmes, healthcare delivery, and vocational support systems that would help vulnerable children reclaim their future.
Chief Aondoakaa encouraged children across the state not to lose hope despite prevailing challenges, assuring them that a better and more secure future remains possible through purposeful leadership, justice, and collective commitment to the common good.