The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye has warned hoteliers in the country to desist from lodging teenagers and underage girls in their facilities or face sanction.
The Minister disclosed this on Saturday during the ‘Unlock Training and Grants’ ceremony held in Abuja.
She also urged them to mount a signpost outside their hotels warning prospective clients not to lodge underage girls in their premises.
“Nigeria must be better. From the 20th (June), we have directed hotels to put a sign outside the Ministry of Women. No lodging of underage girls. (Otherwise) what happened in Niger State will be an understatement of what will happen in the FCT and I mean it.
“No more lodging of underage girls and no more bullying in schools,” she said.
The minister also disclosed that the government has commenced an investigation into the viral video of ten Nigerian teenagers who were rescued in Ghana.
Recall that the victims who were between ages 15 and 16, were rescued after a tip-off by NIDO, the umbrella body of Nigerians living in Ghana.
The girls were reportedly beaten, molested and forced into prostitution without pay.
The minister while stating that the probe into the matter was ongoing, disclosed that the government would take decisive action on the matter on Monday.
“ I am sure you saw the video circulating about our girls taken to Ghana. Did you see it? Very good. Action will start on Monday. You will hear about our action first thing on Monday morning. That is the first thing I am going to approach and see what we can do about it,” she said.
Women Affairs Minister Warns Hotel Owners Against Lodging Underage Girls is first published on The Whistler Newspaper