Sign child right act into law, stop abuse of children – group charges northern governors

 The incessant abuses on children especially in Northern Nigeria has been attributed to lack of commitment by the northern states in Nigeria, Society for Arewa Development, (SAD) a local Non-Governmental Organization has said.

According to SAD who are also championing the Reform Almajirci Movement, such abuses will seize if a legal frame work is put in place for the punishment of offenders.

The group in a press Statement signed by Yobe State Coordinator, Sadiq Bakari regretted the recent abduction of children and horrific detention centres that have been discovered in Kaduna and the kidnap of some children from Kano who were ferried to the east with their names completely changed.

The group which joins other northern states today to campaign for the domestication of the Child Rights Act across the 19 northern states also called on the Yobe State House of Assembly to speed up work on the bill so as to pass it into law for the benefit of the children in the state.

The press release read in full:

It is with utmost importance and urgency that the Society for Arewa Development, who are championing the #ReformAlmajirci movement, call for the total enforcement and implementation of the Child Right’s Act across the 19 Northern States of Nigeria and Nigeria at large. This call echoes the thoughts and hopes of many Nigerians in protecting and safeguarding the Nigerian Child from all harms and abuses they are facing or might face in the nearest future.

In light of transparency, recall that Nigeria as a member of the African Union (AU) ratified the African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (AUCRWC) on the 23rd of July 2001. This brought about the Child Rights Act which came into force on the 31st of July 2003.

This is a law which incorporates all the rights and responsibilities of children and consolidates them into a single legislation. Under this Act, children are guaranteed free and compulsory primary education, and encouragement of secondary and tertiary education. It also guarantees children protection against sale, hire or use for the purpose of hawking, begging for alms, prostitution and/or use in other criminal activities. Although this law has been passed at the federal level, eleven states including, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi Zamfara, Katsina and Adamawa are yet to ratify it and thus this makes it difficult for enforcers to clamp down on those who contravene any section of the law in a state where it has not been ratified. Furthermore, the rest states who have domesticated. Child Rights act have not done enough in ensuring adherence to the laws of their states. This has caused the northern child a lot harm.

Recently, children have been rescued from different traditional rehabilitation centers in different Nigerian states which use barbaric and inhumane methods for treatment, after the rescue, a lot of the victims have complained to be sexually abused and have been left in the most critical living condition by their keepers. Also, UNICEF has put out the official figures of Nigerian out-of-school children to be 13.2 million, with 69 percent of that figure from Northern Nigeria. Recently, nine children were discovered trafficked, kidnapped and sold in the far east with their names already changed and about forty-seven have been put out to be missing. The perpetrators of this act confessed to have been in this business for over a decade, these are all happening because we have got no laws protecting the children, irresponsible parents thereby seize this opportunity in our states and allow their children roam the street, begging, hawking and under various forms of abuse.

THESE HAVE TO STOP.

This is a call to all northern elders, political leaders, traditional leaders, parents, northern youth and above all, the northern states house of assemblies to immediately pass a legislation that would ensure the domestication of the child rights act in various state and states who have done that already should ensure a total and immediate implementation of this act.

Although, the Arewa society has argued that some of the provisions of the child rights act does not go in line with the cultural and religious ethics of the north, it is important to note that the provisions protecting the child against abuses are of benefit to the children and can therefore be domesticated. The child is very important and vulnerable; we cannot afford to keep abusing them, let us also remember that abuses manifest in the lives of adults even after they grow to become adults and we cannot afford to keep risking the future of our country.

We cannot exploit and mortgage the lives and safety of our children for our own personal gains. We urge all stakeholders; i.e., the government across all levels, legislators, the parents, teachers and anyone with genuine love for growth and development of Nigeria and the Nigerian child to join us in clamouring for the implementation of this important act. Stringent laws and punishment should also be meted out on violators of this act.

This struggle we have started is for all and we would not refrain from it until we have the northern children protected by the laws of their states.

We therefore use this medium to call for more volunteers and partners to join us in achieving this goal.

God bless Nigeria and the Nigerian Child.
Thank You.

Share: