A senior lecturer in department of Criminology and Security Studies (CSS) National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Abuja, Prof. Sam Smah called on northern leaders to consider and implement the child rights act which has being passed into law since 2002. Prof. Smah made the appeal in Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) where he reviewed a book written by Dr. Philip Umaru Ajeh of the department of Political Science, titled, ‘Impediments and Constraints to Implementation of Child Rights Law in Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau States.’
He said about 11 states in the North are reluctant in the implementation of child rights act. The university don disclosed that the child rights law is designed to protect children from sexual molestation, street hawking and human trafficking; stressing that children need support psychologically, morally and economically.
He opined that any system of government that doesn’t protect children has automatically exposed them to danger.
Similarly, the minister of state for environment, Alh. Usman Jibrin stated that children are valuable gifts from God to parents, and maintained that all parents are guilty when issues concerning child rights law are raised.
The minister frowned at parents for not doing enough in the area of child rights act, and advised them to monitor their children by observing the categories of friends they mingle with, the period of leaving the homes and returning from school which are important.
The former director-general of Nasarawa Geographic Information Service (NAGIS) expressed gratitude to NSUK management, for allowing academic activities to flow smoothly, and also urged lecturers to undertake researches and proffer solutions in areas of concern.
Jibrin noted that in Nigeria parents only know when their children gain admission in to the university without knowing when to graduate, and appealed to management of institution to make use of available resources adequately in other to make the university functional.
Delivering his welcome address, the vice chancellor of NSUK, Prof. Muhammad Akaro Mainoma disclosed that children need to be protected and parents should also invest in training their children by encouraging them in doing better things.
In a related development the author, Dr. Ajeh explained why he embarked on publishing a book on child rights law, which he said is targeted on Al-majiri in the North, using three states, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau.
He concluded by saying that the book will serve both parents, government and non-governmental organizations (NGO), and promised that next edition will focus on herders/farmers clashes in Nigeria.
