Keywords
Children’s Rights
Common Practices
Social Problems
Inhuman Practices
Child Abuse
Abstract
This paper on Socio-Cultural Values and Children’s Rights in Calabar analyses the history and value system associated with child upbringing in the city of Calabar. Communalism, which ensured child socialisation from birth, was a common practice in Calabar like in other areas of Africa and Nigeria until European incursion and eventual introduction of capitalism during colonial times. This change resulted in the diminishing of communal lifestyle and reduction of family sizes to nuclear forms. It also necessitated the population increase and related social problems. Although historical in content and analysis, the paper adopted the multidisciplinary approach of reconstruction with data gleaned from primary and secondary sources. Findings showed that right from pre-colonial times, inhuman practices that abused children’s rights like child pawning and killing of twins characterised this study area. Population increase and the rise of urban poor and slums resulted in the breeding of abused children, with most homeless on the streets of Calabar. Witchcraft labelling and child trafficking were also highlighted as other significant and recurring causes of child abuse in Calabar. This paper concluded by reiterating that as Calabar flouts its status as a ‘restful city’, children must not be denied of this ‘restful’ lifestyle. Child rights must be implementable and child right violators prosecuted.
References
Aderinto, Saheed. 2015. Children and Childhood in Colonial Nigerian Histories. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Akoda, Winifred Eyoanwan. 2002. “Calabar: A Cross River Metropolis, 1600-1960.” Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Department of History and International Studies, University of Calabar.
Akpan, Nseabasi & Abiodun J. Oluwabamide. 2010. “The Menace of Child Abuse in Nigeria: A Case Study of Street Hawking in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.” Journal of Social Sciences 24(3): 189–192. DOI: 10.1080/09718923.2010.11892855
Awoniyi, Sunday. 2015. “African Cultural Values: The Past, Present and Future.” Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa 17(1): 1–13.
Aye, UkpongEffiong. 2000. The Efik People. Calabar: Glad Tidings Press Limited.
Azi, Sambo Augustine & Isah Saluhu Abubakar. 2016. “The Effect of Child Abuse on the Academic Performance of School Children: Implication on the Nigerian Economy.” Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences 3(3): 23–7.
CADIST 3/3/372. 1933. The Divisional Officer to the Senior Resident, Calabar. “A Report of the Qua Clan by Mr. M.O. Alderton, A. D. O. Comments Of.” 13 June1933.
Chapdelaine, Robin Phylisia. 2016. “Girl Pawns, Brides and Slaves: Child Trafficking in South Eastern Nigeria, 1920’s.” Pp. 51–66 in Children on the Move in Africa: Past and Present Experiences of Migration, edited by Elodie Razy & Rodet Razy. New York: James Currey.
Ekpe, Bassey. 2016. “Cultural Identity and Diversity among the Efịk and Qua of Calabar.” AKSU Journal of History and Global Studies 2(3&4): 111–121.
Fourchard, Laurent. 2006. “Lagos and the Intervention of Juvenile Delinquency in Nigeria: 1920-1960.” Journal of African History 115–137.
Hart, Athanasius Kalada. 1964. Report of the Enquiry into the Dispute over the Obongship of Calabar, Official Document No. 17 of 1964. Enugu: Government Printers.
Idang, Gabriel.2015. “African Culture and Values.” UNISA Phronimon 16(2): 97–111.
Igboin, Benson Ohihon. 2011. “Colonialism and African Cultural Values.” African Journal of History and Culture 3(6): 96–103.
Imbua, David Lishilinimle. 2012. Intercourse and Crosscurrents in the Atlantic World: Calabar-British Experience, 17th-20th Centuries. Durham: Carolina Academic Press.
Imbua, David Lishilinimle & Ekwutosi Essien Offiong. 2011. “Cosmopolitanism, Urbanism and Ethnicity in Calabar Metropolis: The Challenges of Heritage.” Pp. 131–150 in Urbanization and Infrastructure in Nigeria since the 20th century, edited by Abdullahi M. Ashafa. Kaduna: Kaduna State University.
Isine, Ibanga. 2016. “Investigation: Skolombo Boys: How Parents Abused, Abandoned Children on the Streets of Calabar.” Premium Times. May 27. Retrieved February 20, 2017 (http://www.premiumtimes.com).
Itakpo, Edim Edim. 1988. The Quas of Calabar. Calabar: Amuko, Graphic and Press.
Korczak, Janusz. 2017. A Child’s Right to Respect. Strasboug: Council of Europe.
Latham, A. J. H. 1973. Old Calabar: 1600-1891: The Impact of the International Economy upon a Traditional Society. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Majuk, Simon. 2001. Understanding History: A Guide for Beginners. Calabar: Fomaprints Ltd.
Ndem, Bassey Enya & Michael Baghebo. 2012. “Child Labour in Nigeria and its Economic Implications – A case study Of Calabar Municipality.” Research on Humanities and Social Sciences 2(9): 149–159.
Noah, Monday Efiong. 1980. Old Calabar: The City States and the Europeans, 1800-1885. Uyo: Scholar Press.
Obiechina, Georgy Ogonna. 2014. “Violation of Child’s Rights in Nigeria: Implications for Child Health.” Academic Research International 5(1): 151–159.
Odey, Patrick Oko. 2016. "Urbanisation and Social Vices: The Skolombo Phenomenon in Calabar, Cross River State." Pp. 388–404 in Urbanization, Security and Development Issues in Nigeria 1914-2014, Festschift in Honour of Professor Enoch Oyedele, edited by P. I. Ukase, E. O. Akubor and A. I. Onoja. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello Press Limited.
Okeahialam, Theodore. 1984. “Child Abuse in Nigeria.” Child Abuse and Neglect 3: 69–73.
Okeke, Veronica Ifeyinwa. 2005. “African Family in Transition: The Issue of Juvenile Delinquency among Families of Working Mothers.” Pp. 397–405 in The Social Sciences and Socio-Economic Transformation in Africa, edited by J. C. Okabunor & E. E. Anugwom. Nsuka: Great AP Express Publishers Ltd.
Okokon, Joseph & Arit Charles. 2004. “Family and child labour: a study of child hawkers in Calabar.” Journal of Social Development in Africa 19(2): 113–133.
Secker, Emilie. 2012. "Witchcraft Stigmatisation in Nigeria: Challenges and Successes in the Implementation of Child Rights.” International Social Work 56(1): 22–36.
Tajudeen, OpeyemiIsola. 2015 “Legal Framework for the Protection Of Child Rights In Nigeria.” AGORA International Journal of Juridical Sciences 3: 46–52.
Talbot, Percy Amaury. 1969. In the Shadow of the Bush. West Port Connecticut: Negro University Press.
Talbot, Percy Amaury. 1969. The Southern People of Nigeria: A Sketch of their History, Ethnology and Languages. Vol. I-1V. London: Frank Cass.
Uchendu, Egodi. 2007. “Recollection of Childhood Experiences During the Nigerian Civil War.” Periodical: Africa: Journal of the International African Institute 77(3): 393–418.
Udoh, Emmanuel. 2007. “Mary Slessor in our time: HIV/AIDS.” Sophia: An African Journal of Philosophy 7(2): 99–105.
Uduigwomen, Godspower Andrew. 2019. “History and Impact of Child Streetism in Calabar, 1943 – 2015.” Unpublished M.A Thesis. Department of History and International Studies, University of Calabar.
Ukwayi, Joseph Kinuabeye, Angioha Pius Unim, and Aniah Akomaye. 2019. “Associate Factor of Trafficking in Womenand Children in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.” European Journal of Political Science Studies 3(1): 1–15.
UNICEF NIGERIA. 2011. – FACTS SHEET.“Child Rights Legislation in Nigeria.” April 2011.
Uya, Okon Edet. 2009. African History: Some Problems in Methodology and Perspectives. Calabar: CATS Publishers.
License
Manuscript authors are responsible for obtaining copyright permissions for any copyrighted materials included within manuscripts. The authors must provide permission letters, when appropriate, to the Society Register Editors.
In addition, all published papers in Society Register are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Unported License.
1.1 The Author hereby warrants that he/she is the owner of all the copyright and other intellectual property rights in the Work and that, within the scope of the present Agreement, the paper does not infringe the legal rights of another person. The owner of the copyright work also warrants that he/she is the sole and original creator thereof and that is not bound by any legal constraints in regard to the use or sale of the work.
1.2. The Publisher warrants that is the owner of the PRESSto platform for open access journals, hereinafter referred to as the PRESSto Platform.
2. The Author grants the Publisher non-exclusive and free of charge license to unlimited use worldwide over an unspecified period of time in the following areas of exploitation:
2.1. production of multiple copies of the Work produced according to the specific application of a given technology, including printing, reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means (reprography) and digital technology;
2.2. marketing authorisation, loan or lease of the original or copies thereof;
2.3. public performance, public performance in the broadcast, video screening, media enhancements as well as broadcasting and rebroadcasting, made available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them;
2.4. inclusion of the Work into a collective work (i.e. with a number of contributions);
2.5. inclusion of the Work in the electronic version to be offered on an electronic platform, or any other conceivable introduction of the Work in its electronic version to the Internet;
2.6. dissemination of electronic versions of the Work in its electronic version online, in a collective work or independently;
2.7. making the Work in the electronic version available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, in particular by making it accessible via the Internet, Intranet, Extranet;
2.8. making the Work available according to appropriate license pattern CC BY-NC 4.0 as well as another language version of this license or any later version published by Creative Commons.
3. The Author grants the Publisher permission to reproduce a single copy (print or download) and royalty-free use and disposal of rights to compilations of the Work and these compilations.
4. The Author grants the Publisher permission to send metadata files related to the Work, including to commercial and non-commercial journal-indexing databases.
5. The Author represents that, on the basis of the license granted in the present Agreement, the Publisher is entitled and obliged to:
5.1. allow third parties to obtain further licenses (sublicenses) to the Work and to other materials, including derivatives thereof or compilations made, based on or including the Work, whereas the provisions of such sub-licenses will be the same as with the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Creative Commons sub-license or another language version of this license, or any later version of this license published by Creative Commons;
5.2. make the Work available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, without any technological constraints;
5.3. appropriately inform members of the public to whom the Work is to be made available about sublicenses in such a way as to ensure that all parties are properly informed (appropriate informing messages).
6. Because of the royalty-free provision of services of the Author (resulting from the scope of obligations stipulated in the present Agreement), the Author shall not be entitled to any author’s fee due and payable on the part of the Publisher (no fee or royalty is payable by the Publisher to the Author).
7.1. In the case of third party claims or actions for indemnity against the Publisher owing to any infractions related to any form of infringement of intellectual property rights protection, including copyright infringements, the Author is obliged to take all possible measures necessary to protect against these claims and, when as a result of legal action, the Publisher, or any third party licensed by the Publisher to use the Work, will have to abandon using the Work in its entirety or in part or, following a court ruling in a legal challenge, to pay damages to a third party, whatever the legal basis
7.2. The Author will immediately inform the Publisher about any damage claims related to intellectual property infringements, including the author’s proprietary rights pertaining to a copyrighted work, filed against the Author. of liability, the Author is obliged to redress the damage resulting from claims made by third party, including costs and expenditures incurred in the process.
7.3. To all matters not settled herein provisions of the Polish Civil Code and the Polish Copyright and Related Rights Act shall apply.