The National Association of Seadogs, has cautioned parents against allowing their daughters to wear clothes that reveal their bodies, thus making them susceptible to rapists.
The association said it was concerned about the increasing rate of rape cases, saying urgent steps must be taken to address it.
This was disclosed at the weekend, during the annual “Feast of Barracuda,” organised by the Hawkins Deck of the association in Alimosho, axis of Lagos State.
The ceremony, which attracted parents and children from within and outside the state, had the team: “Parenting and protection of the child.”
Guest Lecturer of the event, Mr Arinze Odiari, Esq, said recent trends of rape cases and other violent crimes across the country had made it imperative for parents, schools, and religious organisations to ensure that the child is properly protected to stem the negative development.
He said under the Lagos State Law, children have the right to Life, survival, and balanced development; a name and registration at birth; dignity and respect; privacy, family life, and parental care, protection, and maintenance.
Citing section 2 of the Lagos State Child Rights Act, Odiari stressed, “A child shall be given protection and care necessary for his well‐being.
A child shall be given such protection and care as is necessary for the well‐being of the child, taking into account the rights and duties of the child’s parents, legal guardians, or other individuals, institutions, services, agencies, organisations, or bodies legally responsible for the child.
“Every person, institution, service, agency, organization, and body responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform to the standards established by the appropriate authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, welfare, number, and suitability of their staff and competent supervision.”
Co-guest lecturer at the event, Mrs Magdalene Mrakpor, stressed that for the girl child to be protected from rape, parents must ensure that they dress decently at all times in order not to be victims of rapists.
She said, “It has become imperative for parents to always engage their children in discussions and let them differentiate between what is good and bad.
For instance, do not expose your girl child to indecent dressing such as wearing bum shorts in public places or exposing their bodies.
Train them the right way to grow. Catch them young and be their friends.”
Earlier, while declaring the event open, the National President of NAS (NAS Cap’n), Mr. Abiola Owoaje, said the theme of this year’s ceremony was to draw attention to the increasing cases of violence against children and find a way of curbing them.
Also speaking, the host Hawkins Deck Cap’n, Mr. Hassan Aidorolo, said the annual Feast of Barracuda is to ensure family bonding.
“Thriving on the vast assemblage of human and material resources at our disposal which is seldom tapped, a day is set aside annually for the Feast of Barracuda to reaffirm our faith in the confraternity and the bonding of the family.
We believe in the bonding of our families because the family comes first and so it is.
“The association has and will continue to carry out humanitarian services that are aimed at touching the lives of the downtrodden.
The improvement of societal standards is encapsulated in our operational watchwords which are the four compass points: Against Moribund Convention; Against Ethnicity; For Humanistic Ideals; For Comradeship and Chivalry,” he said.
