Mr. Sola Aladesuyi, Director of Social Welfare, Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, says that over 200 children are incarcerated in the state’s children correctional centre yearly.
Aladesuyi disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure on Monday, while speaking on the state of the juvenile remand home.
He said the Ondo State Children Correctional Centre was established in 1991 to cater for children in conflict with the law, children in need of care and protection and children beyond parental control.
The director disclosed that the centre had been facing some challenges since establishment including deplorable structures, lack of basic social amenities and legal and institutional frameworks.
He also decried the lack of adequate staffers and necessary training facilities.
Aladesuyi maintained that the correctional home had in recent times received a lot of face-lifts from the government like the renovation of its old buildings and construction of new ones.
He called on the state government for more support to address other challenges being experienced at the centre.
The director called on parents and guardians to guide and guard their wards properly against social vices, which could make them vulnerable to societal ills.
Also speaking with NAN, the Residential Warden of the centre, Mr Sunday Oyewole, said it received more children during festive period than at any other time in the year.
Oyewole urged major stakeholders to work hand in glove with the government to reduce the number of juvenile crimes in the society.
He called for renewed vigour and commitment from all stakeholders in addressing all forms of societal ills and checkmating the influx of children into juvenile homes.
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