African Child Day: NCWS demand reopening of varsities, improved security

The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has called on the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) to re-open the Universities so that children can go back to school and  be fully engaged, decrying that the incessant crises in the educational institutions are big threats to national security.

National President of the Council Hajiya Lami Adama Lau, made the call Thursday in Abuja during a media briefing organized to formally inaugurate events to mark the International Day of the African Child and first Women in National Service (WINSERVE 2022).

Lau, who is also the President and Chairperson of Special Events Planning Committee (SEPCOM) described the current system of education as “worrisome and unacceptable”, stressing that it was high time for both  Governments and Non-Governmental Institutions to be alert to their responsibilities.

According to her, children’s continuous stay at home is a thing of concern to them as mothers, noting that it makes them idle, redundant and therefore vulnerable to all forms of violence and negative tendencies.

She equally expressed worry on the rising issues of insecurity, while appealing to politicians

to show more commitment in tackling these menaces by giving it more attention just like they do to party delegates.

”We are appealing to our politicians to fear God and face these problems squarely, in the same way they are facing Party Delegates. Just imagine how Billions of Tax-Payers money are squandered, in the recent weeks, during parties primaries.

”If issues of Security and Education are taken in like manner, Nigeria would have been a Heaven on this Earth. Haba! Let’s all fear Allah, and discharge our individual and official obligations. Almighty God does not sleep. We must be aware that our nation is drifting while our leaders are busy engaged in selfish and greedy political mis-adventures,” she said.

”Gender Violence (particularly raping), Drug Abuse, Out-of-School Children, Youth Unemployment and related social vices is on the increase: the twin maladies of Violent Rape Against Women and Neglect of Children’s rights to existence and basic amenities like Education, Health and even Security, at their lowest ebb in Africa: In fact Nigeria has the highest Out-Of-School-Children, in the whole world! This is very sad, clearly worrisome and therefore, unacceptable.

”We are equally witnesses to widespread cases of Raping and related forms of Violence against innocent Women, mostly minors, every day on the rise, at an alarming proportion. This is the very essence of marking the Day of the African Child,” she added.

The National President therefore calls on all State Governors to speed-up the process of adopting the Child Rights Act, and must take a cognitive and collective action on this matter as it is long overdue.

Earlier, a member of SEPCOM Edhekpo Oyoyou, noted that thirty million of the World’s 57 million children who are out-of-school are in Sub-Saharan Africa, stating that more than Ten (10) Million of these children are Nigerians.

Highlighting key activities of the events the Director and Head of FGN- NIMEC Projects Implementation Committee, Federal Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning Dr. M.A. Yakassai,  said the women’s  week is coming up during an unprecedented time in the country when the NASS threw out issues of women, adding that the programme seeks to address the perils of the society, especially Gender Based Violence (GBV).