By Ike Uchechukwu, Calabar

The International Day for Street Children, marked annually on April 11, took center stage in Calabar as top government officials, rights advocates, and civil society actors raised urgent concerns about the worsening plight of street children in the State capital, calling for collective action and long-overdue accountability.

This year’s theme, “Participation,” served as both a challenge and a rallying cry: include the voices of the children themselves in decisions that affect their lives.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Edema Irom, the Cross River State Commissioner for Women Affairs, described street children as “innocent victims of circumstance,” not criminals or witches as some cultural and religious narratives suggest. She emphasized the need for a joint effort by government, civil society, the media, and all citizens to confront the growing crisis.

“If we don’t act now, we risk creating a multi-generational problem—children, parents, and eventually grandparents living on the streets. That would be a tragedy,” Hon. Irom warned.

The Commissioner praised the support of the First Lady of Cross River State, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu and Governor Bassey Otu, referring to them as “champions of the People First agenda” for backing efforts to spotlight and address the street children situation.

In a passionate appeal to families, Hon. Irom advised parents and guardians to take responsibility for their children and avoid blindly following religious leaders who encourage harmful practices. “Many of these children are on the streets because they were branded witches by so-called pastors. Parenting is a divine mandate—we must not fail,” she said.

Adding a legal and rights-based perspective, James Ibor, Principal Counsel at the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), delivered a fiery address condemning the government’s failure to implement the Child Rights Law of 2023 and provide social services for vulnerable children.

“Governments are a nuisance because they have failed to protect these children,” Ibor said. “No child chooses life on the street. They are not witches, criminals, or nuisances—they are victims of systemic failure. We’ve even documented how they can be fully rehabilitated in just two years. The question is: does the government care enough to act?”

He emphasized that any program developed without involving the children themselves is doomed to fail. “Nothing for them, without them,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Jonathan Abang Ugbal, South-South Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, said society has abandoned its most vulnerable, leaving children at the mercy of poverty, exploitation, and indifference.

“These kids are begging today, but if we continue to ignore them, they may stop asking and start taking—by force,” Ugbal warned. “The ruling class must stop exploiting them, and parents must stop dumping them. Branding a child a witch and abandoning them is a crime, and we will ensure such parents are prosecuted.”

“A society is only as strong as its weakest link. And right now, our weakest links are crying for help,” Ugbal concluded.

In deeply moving testimonies, some of the street children themselves recounted the daily horrors they face.

 One admitted turning to smoking and drugs to cope. A teenage girl shared how rape is common among girls living on the streets, with some dying from pregnancy complications or sheer neglect.

“If not for God, I would have died by now,” she said.