Sir: Children are the future leaders of tomorrow. This is a universal and unchanging truth. Any country that decides to go against this truth would soon find itself to be a lie. However, children rights are not prioritised as they are exposed to dangers and are not given attention of which they are engaged in street begging and other unruly behaviours.

Any society that has anything resembling a conscience knows that in children lies the best hope of the society so, whatever affects them should be given prominent attention. This attention to children is also the hallmark of any society that is ready to build its future to be prosperous.

The Nigerian state is certainly one tough place to be a child. From the spectre of child mortality to child abuse to pure child neglect, the factors are many and hydra headed. Many Nigerian children suffer from poverty.

Nigeria has struggled so much in many aspects of her national life and existence. The struggle is still on and genuine hope is held out that one day things will fall into place, not by any accident of fate but by the conscious efforts of Nigerians especially her leaders.

For things to take shape especially in the nearest future, which must never resemble anything close to the present, it is inescapable that Nigerian children would play a big role. Because they would, all aspects of their development must be given premium consideration. 

Everything must also be done to protect them from harm in any way possible. Street begging is a bundle of hazards among children. These hazards are physiological, psychological, emotional   and even spiritual.

When a child for whatever reason is fed into the vicious cycle of street begging, the society has a genuine problem on its hands. When such street begging has the direct encouragement of a system that draws its structure and sustenance from religion with all its conflations, a nightmare is nigh at hand.
 
Children should at all times be well fed and well educated. They should wear good clothes and sleep under good roofs. They must also be given the best psychological and emotional support at all times. These must be given premium if we are to hope for a future better than what we have today.

Child rights should be convenient and conducive to the welfare of children. For good measure, it also came with responsibilities for children themselves and sanctions for those who would violate its provisions.

It is saddening that children suffered unspeakable abuses and are engaged in street begging and so the child right is not given priority and children are seen as minors, which is not supposed. Children rights should be recognised and respected so as to promote and up bring good leaders of tomorrow.
Bege Awa Smith is of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.