ENigeria, indela linakekela izingane ezilahliwe ezibhalwe njengabathakathi

Eminyakeni emithathu ngemuva kokwamukela u-Inimffon Uwamobong oneminyaka emibili kanye nomfowabo omncane, uSista Matylda Iyang, ekugcineni wezwa ngonina owayebalahlile.

"Umama wabo ubuyile wangitshela ukuthi yena (Inimffon) nomfowabo omncane bangabathakathi, bengicela ukuba ngibaxoshe esigodlweni," kusho u-Iyang, owengamele ikhaya lezingane zikaMama uCharles Walker ezincekwini zezingane ezingcwele.

Ukumangalelwa okunjalo akukusha ku-Iyang.

Selokhu avula indlu ngo-2007, u-Iyang unakekele inqwaba yezingane ezingondlekile futhi ezingenamakhaya emigwaqweni yase-Uyo; abaningi babo babenemindeni eyayikholelwa ukuthi bangabathakathi.

Abafowethu base-Uwamobong sebeluleme futhi bakwazi ukubhalisa esikoleni, kepha u-Iyang nabanye abahlinzeka ngosizo lomphakathi babhekene nezidingo ezifanayo.

Abezempilo kanye nabasebenzi bezenhlalakahle bathi abazali, ababheki kanye nabaholi bezenkolo babiza izingane njengabathakathi ngezizathu eziningi. Ngokwe-UNICEF neHuman Rights Watch, izingane ezingaphansi kwalezi zinsolo zivame ukuphathwa kabi, zilahlwe, zishushumbiswe noma zibulawe.

Kuyo yonke i-Afrika, umthakathi ubhekwa njengesiko lobubi futhi uyimbangela yamashwa, izifo nokufa. Ngenxa yalokho, umthakathi ungumuntu ozondwa kakhulu emphakathini wase-Afrika futhi kufanele ajeziswe, ahlukunyezwe ngisho nokufa.

Kuke kwaba nemibiko yezingane - ezibhalwe ukuthi zingabathakathi - ezifakwe izipikili emakhanda futhi ziphoqeleka ukuba ziphuze ukhonkolo, zithungelwe ngomlilo, zine-acid, zifakwe ushevu zaze zangcwatshwa ziphila.

ENigeria, abanye abefundisi abangamaKristu bafake izinkolelo zase-Afrika mayelana nobuthakathi kuhlobo lwabo lobuKristu, okuholele emkhankasweni wokuhlukunyezwa kwabantu abasha kwezinye izindawo.

Izakhamizi zesifundazwe sase-Akwa Ibom - kubandakanya amalungu eqembu le-Ibibio, Annang ne-Oro - bakholelwa ebukholweni benkolo nemimoya nabathakathi.

Ubaba uDominic Akpankpa, umqondisi omkhulu weCatholic Institute of Justice and Peace eDayosisi yase-Uyo, uthe ukuba khona kobuthakathi yinto yabantu abangazi lutho ngemfundiso yenkolo.

“Uma uthi umuntu uyathakatha, kufanele ukufakazele lokho,” kusho yena. Ubuye wengeza ukuthi iningi lalabo abasolwa ngokuba ngabathakathi bangaba nezinkinga zengqondo futhi "kungumsebenzi wethu ukusiza laba bantu ngezeluleko ukuze baphume kuleso simo."

Ukuthakatha nokulahla izingane kuvamile emigwaqweni yase-Akwa Ibom.

Uma owesilisa eshada futhi, u-Iyang uthe, unkosikazi omusha kungenzeka angabekezeleli isimo sengane ngemuva kokushada nomfelokazi, futhi ngenxa yalokho, uzomxosha ekhaya.

"Ukufeza lokhu, ubezomsola ngokuthi uyathakatha," kusho u-Iyang. "Yingakho uzothola izingane eziningi emgwaqeni kanti uma ubabuza bazothi ngumama wabo wokutholwa obaxoshe ekhaya."

Uthe ububha nokukhulelwa kwentsha nakho kungaphoqa izingane ukuthi zingene ezitaladini.

Ikhodi yaseNigeria yokujezisa iyakwenqabela ukusola, noma ngisho nokusabisa ngokubeka umuntu othile icala lokuthi uyathakatha. UMthetho Wamalungelo Wezingane ka-2003 ukwenza kube yicala lokwephula umthetho ukuhlukumeza noma iyiphi ingane ngokomzimba noma ngokomzwelo noma ukuyiphatha ngendlela engeyona eyemvelo noma eyehlisa isithunzi.

Izikhulu ze-Akwa Ibom zafaka umthetho iChild Rights Act ngemizamo yokunciphisa ukuhlukunyezwa kwezingane. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umbuso wamukela umthetho ngonyaka ka-2008 owenza ukuthi ukuthakathwa kwabathakathi kujeziswe ngokugwetshwa iminyaka engafika kweyishumi ejele.

U-Akpankpa uthe ukwenza ubugebengu ngokungabi nabulungisa ezinganeni kuyisinyathelo esiqonde ngqo.

“Izingane eziningi ziye zabizwa ngabathakathi nezisulu. Sasinezimboni zezingane lapho kugcinwa khona izintombi; bayabeletha kanti izingane zabo ziyathathwa zidayiswe ngenhloso yokuthola imali, ”kusho umpristi etshela abakwa-CNS.

“Ukushushumbiswa kwabantu bekuthusa kakhulu. Amafektri amaningi ezingane atholakele, izingane nonina batakulwa ngenkathi abenzi bokubi belethwa enkantolo, ”engeza.

Ekhaya likaMama uCharles Walker Children, lapho izingane eziningi zamukelwa futhi zithunyelwe esikoleni ngomfundaze, u-Iyang ukhombisa ukuzibophezela kweSonto LamaKhatholika ekuvikeleni amalungelo ezingane. Uthe iningi labantu abasha abangondlekile lo myalelo owutholayo yilabo abashonelwe ngunina ngesikhathi bebeletha "futhi imindeni yabo ibaletha kithi bezokwelashwa."

Ukulandela umkhondo nokuhlangana kabusha, u-Iyang wakha ubambiswano noMnyango Wezindaba Zabesifazane Nezenhlalakahle ye-Akwa Ibom. Inqubo iqala ngokuqinisekiswa kwabazali ngokuqoqa imininingwane emayelana nengane ngayinye nendawo yayo ngaphambi kokuhlukana. Ngemininingwane esesandleni, umphenyi uya edolobheni lakubo lomfana ukuyoqinisekisa lokho akufundile.

Le nqubo ifaka abaholi bomphakathi, abadala nabaholi bezenkolo nabaholi bendabuko ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ingane ngayinye ihlanganiswe kahle futhi yamukelekile emphakathini. Uma lokho kwehluleka, ingane izobekwa kumthetho wokutholwa ngaphansi kweso likahulumeni.

Selokhu kwavulwa i-Mother Charles Walker Children Home ngo-2007, u-Iyang nabasebenzi banakekele izingane ezibalelwa ku-120. Babalelwa ku-74 ababuye bajoyina imindeni yabo, esho.

"Manje sisele nabangu-46," esho, "ngethemba lokuthi imindeni yabo ngelinye ilanga izobalanda noma babe nabazali bokutholwa."