The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu Esq. has called on all states to domesticate and implement the Child Rights Act (CRA) for guarantee of the future of the Nigerian child.
Ojukwu, who stated this Wednesday while commenting on the steps being taken by some state governments on the issue, lamented that while the Act was adopted in Nigeria since 2003, 11 states mainly in the North were yet to sign it into law in their various states.
He, however, commended Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule for signing last week into law the Child Rights Protection Executive Order to ensure proper care and development of children in the state.
He called on the remaining northern state governments who are yet to adopt CRA to do so in the interest of the children which the Act seeks to promote and protect.
Ojukwu noted that the healthy development of the child is very crucial to the future well being and development of the nation, stressing: “Children need special care and attention and we must do the best we can to encourage them to grow, learn, play, develop and flourish with dignity.”
He also commended the government of Nassarawa state for enacting the anti kidnapping law, stating that insecurity in different parts of the country occasioned by the farmers, herders’ clashes, kidnapping, banditry and ethno-religious mayhem have combined to exacerbate the vulnerability of children in the affected communities.
This is why he said there is greater need now to domestic the Child Rights Act in every state of the federation to protect this defenceless group.
According Ojukwu, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Africa lays much emphasis on the need to mainstream child’s rights in all developmental programmes of governments in the continent and Nigeria cannot be an exception.
He, therefore, advocated for the prioritisation of child’s rights issues in both national and state budgets particularly in critical sectors like education, health, water, food, shelter, among others.
The Executive Order by the Nassarawa state government amongst other things seeks to ban child street begging in the state and prescribes ten years imprisonment for parents who permit their children to beg in the streets.
