Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Ify Obinabo, has charged women to respect the rights of the girl child to be educated.

The Commissioner, who gave the charge while addressing Christian mothers of Tree of Life Gospel Ministry during their annual August Meeting held at the headquarters of the church in Nanka, also advised women to allow their girl child to choose her career.

Obinabo, who was represented by Chizoba Ezenwegbu, noted that a child has the right to be educated up to secondary school level in the first instance, adding: “Every girl child has the right to decide if she wants to be a trader, a lawyer or medical doctor or an engineer or whatever and you have to allow her to make the choice because you have no right to impose occupation or career on your child.”

She also cautioned mothers against maltreating and torturing their house helps, urging them to endeavour to treat any child living with them like their own biological children.

According to her, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs would not tolerate maltreatment of children by relatives or guardians.

She disclosed that the Ministry was handling a case of torture in Awada area of the state where a woman used blade razor to inflict severe injuries on the body of a child living with her.

“In fact, the Ministry has abolished house help or house maid on the ground that you have the responsibility to treat anybody living with you like your biological child. You have to ensure that anybody living with you is feeding well and is going to school. There is nothing like house help or house maid,” she said.

In her response, the leader of the Christian mothers, Senior Deaconess Bridget Ezike, thanked the Commissioner for making out time to grace the meeting, noting that her presence enriched other participants as well as the church in general.

She gave the assurance that the mothers were ready to key into the programmes of the ministry and support Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Liveable and Prosperous Homeland Agenda.

Founder and General Overseer of the Church, Bishop Jerry Dada Obi, his wife and Mother General of the Church Abuoma Jerry Obi, and other prominent members of the church also graced the occasion.