By: Stephen G. Fellajuah
Email fellajuahstepheng@gmail.com
The Liberia National Children’s Parliament on Friday, October 7, 2022, threatened to take the Liberian government to court for what it termed as “willful neglet and persistent non -support” toward the organization, describing the alleged act as completely reckless and irresponsible.
Speaking to newsmen over the weekend, the Speaker of the Children’s Parliament Joel U.K Gray said that the institution at large has over the years been suffering from less protection and the situation is worsening because the government of Liberia continue to neglect the children of Liberia.
“We are not pleased with the Government of Liberia who claims that it protects and promotes children in line with Article (2) of the 2011 Children’s law of Liberia yet failed to take responsibility by supporting the first and legitimate child lead institution in the Republic of Liberia. The CDC government removed us from the national budget and has since failed to support us” Speaker Gray decried.
Mr. Gray argued that rather the government supporting and protecting children across the Country, it is without ramose contributing to the abuse by reducing them to beggars In order to implement their overall responsibility, adding that they have to lobby, advocate to partners before they can represent the wellbeing of all Liberian children.
“The Liberia National Children Parliament has plan to take the national government to court for neglecting its national duty in accordance with the law or Act that establish the institution. We strongly Suing the Government of Liberia to international partners/U. S Government for refusing to support the Children of Liberia and our complain has to do with ” Non persistent support” he stated.
The children advocacy body at the same time disclosed that they see the alleged act by the government as been “reckless and irresponsible” and as the parent body, they are demanding government to support Liberian children face legal battle with them.
He further accused the Coalition for Democratic Change government saying since its inception has deliberately refused to implement laws domestic and International laws that provides for the protection and support of children across the country but is demanding parents to take responsibility of their children.
The Liberian children’s Speaker asserted that it is very much prudent the government to level charges against parents who neglect their responsibility to support their children, but the Government can’t lead.
“This act is wrong and in violation of child right. The Act that establishes the Liberia Children Parliament mandates that we have budgetary support, but it is not happening since this government took over. You can’t be wanting citizens to go by what is constitutional when you are not implementing the same.” Gray emphasized further.
Speaker Gray alleged that the government of Liberia took out the operational budget of the Children’s Parliament out of the national budget, something that he said had since hindered the smooth operation of the Children’s Parliament to advocate freely for the right of every child living within the borders of Liberia.
The children’s body noted further that the Ministry of Gender Children and Social protection which is the mother ministry for all Liberian children has a ” non-persistent support unit” which is responsible to hold onto parents/guardian whose failed to take parental responsibilities of their child and demand them to implies to their role, but the same Ministry allowed the national government to remove the support needed for the children’s Parliament from national budget.
However, he appreciated the workings of the Ministry through the unit of non-persistent support for prevailing on parents to support their children but frowned on government for not supporting children through the parliament.
