The contents of this piece kept me awake for the better part of the night. It may be a long read but, I appeal to you by the mercies of God to endure reading through it in the best interest of our precious children.

Today, as I continued to follow the unfolding and messy story of Virginia Roberts’ allegations of Child Sexaul Abuse or Sex Slavery against  HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York, I have come to the irresistible conclusion that Child Sexaul Abuse has become a plague of global proportion, which demands more attention we give to it today as primary and secondary caregivers; individuals and institutions…

Though, the allegations against the Duke of York is at its embryonic stage, I can’t seem to wrap my mind round his open relationship with the American billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted paedophile, who is also connected to the current allegations…

From recent bizzare cases of the Catholic Church Child Sexual Abuse, Jimmy Savile, Jerry Sandusky(to mention just a few on the international scene) to the plethora of cases we handle daily as Child Protection Experts and the  scary ones you and I read or hear about daily, I make bold to say that Child Sexual Abuse is perpetrated in  most unexpected places by most unexpected people against most unexpected victims under most unexpected and unsuspecting circumstances…

Sadly today, the Global Plague of Child Sexual Abused is cemented under ignoble carpet of cold SILENCE and deliberate DENIAL, particularly in Africa among individuals and institutions for different reasons, none of which is noble or in the best interest of the Child…

Let me warn today, very boldly, at the risk of sounding like a prophet of doom, permit me to submit with almost oracular precision that our precious children are not as safe as we think or assume, both in our homes and the institutions we send them to. 18 years of field experience, tireless investments in research efforts and recent events validate the foregoing assertion as one of the most profound truth of this century. This is a reality we must fight everything within and outside us not to deny, except we chose to live in fool’s paradise, which is the costliest place to live today on the issue of Child Sexual Abuse…

What then is the answer? How do we employ wisdom to direct us for our profit and that of our precious children? How do we ensure the protection of our precious children from Child Sexual Abuse? We need to acquire and sharpen our intelligence of Child Protection(i-PROTECT) with immediate effect. For example, intelligence does not ask the question, are children safe from Sexual Abuse, irrespective of whose care they are and the how safe the environment they are kept may seem…

Intelligence asks only one major question: as primary and secondary caregivers, what sound, tested and professional measures have we put in place to ensure the safety of our precious children from Child Sexual Abuse?

Intelligence also asks the follow-up: what are these measures carefully and deliberately set out in specific terms, according to global standards, which have become the established culture of the people and  impenetrable pillars of the environment, where our precious children are kept both at in our homes and institutions, we surrender them to…

It is time for you to ask ourselves and the institutions(formal or informal, religious or educational) we trust our children with, these fundamental questions and demand credible answers…

If we truly love and seek to protect our children, I charge us today not find sleep for our eyes, rest for our sousl and peace to your conscience until we ask and find answers to the foregoing questions of intelligence of Child Protection…

I think I should rest my case here for today…

For those who endured to read this piece to the end, thank you and do have your patient self an INSPIRED day…Also, as a special gift for reading this charge to the end, I am available for questions and clarifications.

Yours in the best interest of the African Child,
Taiwo Akinlami
Www.taiwoakinlami.com
Www.taiwoakinlami.wordpress.com
@taiwoakinlami

NB: Please if you believe in this message, I charge you, be it’s noble ambassador, pass it to your next friend or neighbour. Thank you.