……Representative Moima Briggs-Mensah seeks remedy for street-selling kids
By: Jerromie S. Walters
Capitol Hill, Monrovia, Liberia: Bong County District 6 Representative, Moima Briggs- Mensah has risen concern about the recent wave of the massive increase in the number of street-selling kids across Monrovia, thus calling on authorities of the Ministry of Gender, and the Liberia National Police, to ensure that it is addressed in due time.
In an interaction with Legislative reporters on Thursday, February 2, 2023, Representative Briggs expressed dismay over the proliferation of street-selling children, especially during school time, and called on the government to act swiftly.
She believes the children are being denied education, and they are also exposed to all forms of violence and abuse, especially with elections just in a few months to come.
“The most frustrating part about it is that even during school hours, you can still find children selling in the streets, and along with visually impaired people begging, I think it’s so alarming and it’s really scaring”, she said.
She added, “Especially for the ones that are selling, someone with an evil intention might call them pretending to be a buyer, and they might be interested, sadly, that’s how they might get entrapped in things of ritualistic purposes”, she added.
The Bong County District #6 Representative fear is mainly triggered by secret killings that often occur during electoral periods, especially considering the October 2023 elections that are just in a few months, and with the wave of multiple reports of ritualistic killings that have been reported of late.
“We are approaching elections, and some people are so desperate, they think the only way to get to power is to do terrible things, so we need to be careful with our children”, she said.
She’s recommending that the government ensures that street selling Kids are placed in safe homes, in order to have them enrolled in school and completely taken from the street.
“These are things that should be important to the government, the safety of citizens and the state, so we need to allocate sufficient money in the budget to ensure that it is addressed in time to avoid further embarrassment”, she stressed.
She pleaded, “I’m calling on the Gender Ministry to ensure that those children are taken from the streets, because it’s risky for us, and if those children are killed, it will also hurt a lot of us because we have children”.
The Bong County District#6 Representative is calling on the Executive Director of the National Commission on Disabilities, to push for increased budgetary allotment, in order to empower the Commission to address issues affecting persons with disabilities across Liberia.
Representative Briggs has vowed to remain vigilant about her quest to ensure that children are given the lives they deserve, despite how her concern will be addressed by the government.
On Thursday, February 2, 2023, the Honorable House of Representatives- HOR, cited authorities of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Liberia National Police- LNP to ascertain reasons why they have not taken action to curtail street selling by Children in the Country.
The plenary decision was reached Thursday following a communication from Bong County District 6 Representative, Moima Briggs- Mensah.
“Honorable members, a few months ago we commemorated the 16 days of Activism as a country; thereby, alarming all harmful practices and violations against women and children over the past years and finding means to eradicating these challenges”, she noted in her communication.
Howbeit, both authorities of the Gender Ministry and Liberian National Police are expected to appear next week Thursday.
Of recent, there has been a massive increase in the number of street-selling kids on major streets in Monrovia.
Red light, Broad Street, Capitol Bye pass, and other major commercial areas across Liberia are vivid evidence of the female lawmaker’s concern for the Liberian legislature.
