Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu state on Wednesday offered scholarship up to university level to 11-year-old domestic worker, Happiness Nwafor, who was allegedly abused and brutalised by her employer.
The governor also ordered the rehabilitation of the victim.
The State Commissioner for Children, Gender and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Enugu.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nwafor, who hails from Enugu state, was allegedly molested by her “madam”, an Anambra based Lawyer, Adachukwu Okafor, who resides in Onitsha.
Okafor had brought her into her home in January, after contacting her parents to help her get a child who would assist her with house chores.
She had battered the little Nwafor with hot iron and knife, inflicting injuries on her after accusing her of touching her child’s private part while bathing the child.
In a letter to the Scholarship Board, Enih said Mbah had graciously approved the rehabilitation and offer of scholarship up to university level for Nwafor.
She stated that the governor’s action was in line with the resolution of the Enugu State House of Assembly.
“Today we are here to to handover little Happiness Nwafor to the Enugu State Scholarship Board. Recall that on Feb. 1, a video went viral about a child that was physically abused by a lawyer in Anambra.
“The little girl in question was from Enugu state and we have to rush down to Anambra to ascertain the level of injury and make sure she is healed.
“I appreciate Mbah and his wife, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra and his wife, Dr Nonyelum Soludo, for their rapid response and quick intervention and making sure that Nwafor was rescued and got the adequate medical treatment.
“It shows us the type of government we are all witnessing, a government that cares for his people they have been taking care of her even as she go through rehabilitation.
“I equally thank the Ministry of Gender Affairs, Anambra and Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy for placing a bounty on the perpetrator who was nowhere to be found.
“We all collaborated to make sure that the Okafor was arrested,” Enih said.
She maintained that the Enugu state would not condone or accept any form of child abuse, in state or outside the state as it has zero to child abuse.
The commissioner added that little Nwafor would be handed over to the Director in charge of Enugu State School Board for proper documentation.
Receiving the victim, Mr Peter Nkwuo, the Head of Administration, Enugu Scholarship and Education Loan Board, said the board would provide her with school uniform, bag, books and others as pupils in the state do not pay school fees.
He stressed that in future when she would gain admission into secondary school, the state would pay her school fees and provide her with other materials.
While thanking Anambra and Enugu governments, the mother of the victim, Nwanneka Anioke, said Nwafor’s father abandoned her with four kids, prompting her to give out Nwafor as a maid. (NAN)
