Gombe stakeholders seek passage of child rights act

Stakeholders in Gombe state have urged government to speed up passage of the Child Right Act into law with the view to enhancing the right of children in the state.
The call was made during a one day consultative meeting organized by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with Gombe state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare yesterday.
Speaking during the meeting, chairman of the subcommittee on Child Right Act Domestication Committee, Barr Abdulganiyu Bello said the act was adopted by the federal government in 2003 and allowed various state governments to domesticate in line with their peculiarities.
Barrister Bello said, Gombe state government set up a 15 -member committee comprising the state ministry of women affairs and social welfare, Jama’tu Nasrul Islam, Christian Association of Nigeria, traditional leaders, nongovernmental and civil society organisations to come out with a draft bill on how to domesticate the bill.
He said the document was against the abuse of the children to life, education as well as other fundamental rights.
The chairman pointed out that the committee has completed its job and written to the state government for a date to present the report.
The Child Protection Specialist of the UNICEF Nigeria- Bauchi Field Office, Ladi Alabi said the forum was to provide a platform on far the committee has gone as well as participating stakeholders the opportunity to discuss and identify the next actions and strategies for further supporting efforts to join hands together to push forward