•Say It’s
Robbery Of Nigerian Children’s Right
Chioma Umeha
Child protection experts have frowned at delay in
adoption of Child Rights Act (CRC) in 11 states of the country, including the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) attributing this to poverty, community
disintegration and family dysfunction.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the trend, the
experts further said that child vulnerability is also one of the factors impeding
the implementation of the CRC and robbing the Nigerian child of his right to
protection.
They also said failure in meeting the
developmental needs of the Nigerian children makes him a victim of several
forms of violence, the consequence is non-implementation of the Act in the
country.
Recall that the CRC was adopted by the General
Assembly of the United Nations by its resolution of November 20, 1989 with
Nigeria among the 194 countries that
ratified it, except Somalia.
However, as the country joined the world to mark
the 30 years of CRC, some of the Nigerian states, mainly from the North are yet
to domesticate the Child Rights Convention.
Sharon Oladiji, Child Protection Specialist,
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at a recent two-day media dialogue on
the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC@30) held in Lagos, gave an
analysis of the progress of the Bill’s domestication.
She noted that 11 out of the 36 states of the
federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have not domesticated
the Act.
Giving further breakdown, Oladiji said, the 11
states are all from the north, including, Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna,
Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, Adawama and Gombe.
“Only eight states out of the North’s 19 states
have domesticated the Act. They are: Niger, FCT, Nasarawa, Taraba, Benue,
Plateau, Kwara and Kogi and all 17 states in the south have domesticated the
Act.
While Jigawa state had earlier domesticated the
Act, but repealed it thereafter, Oladiji
observed in her presentation, titled; “Topic: ‘Domestication of the CRC; the
CRA legal framework,’ at the dialogue organised by the Child Rights Information
Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, in
collaboration with UNICEF.
Oladiji also said that investing in a child is
paramount for Nigeria and Africa as a whole to realize the right of the
burgeoning child population, adding that a healthy development of a child is
crucial to the future wellbeing of any nation.
“Special attention is required for Nigeria which
is the country with the largest increase in absolute numbers of both birth and
child population, it is time we acknowledge our shared responsibility and
address this issue.”
Also, Olumide Osanyipeju, Director, Child Rights
Information Bureau (CRIB) Federal Ministry of Information in his remarks, said
that the UN Convention on the rights of the child is a comprehensive statement
which would be binding under international law and became necessary with
reports of grave injustice suffered by children.
The prejudices he said, ranged from high infant
mortality, deficient health care, limited opportunities for basic education,
alarming accounts of children being abused and exploited as prostitutes or in
harmful jobs, Children in prison or in other difficult circumstances.
He added that it is equally worthy to note that it
has really been an uphill task bringing to fruition the total realisation of
children’s rights in our society, especially in the rural terrains which
constitute the bulk of our society and where a vast majority of our people are
not literate.
“The situation that stares us in the face is the
tall order to bring our people to understand that children deserve as many
fundamental rights as the adults, and the need to protect the rights of our
children at risk of deprivations of basic social benefits, in exploitative and
difficult circumstances, and even mortality.”
Mrs. Blessing Ejiofor, UNICEF Communication
Officer, highlighted how the media can support the campaign and provide a
platform to review media advocacy on children’s rights in Nigeria vis-a-vis the
CRC, identify and plan new ways to push for increased financial and
non-financial investments in children with a focus on emerging trends and
threats to childhood in this millennium.
Also, UNICEF Chief of Communication, Eliana
Drakopoulos, said media has a role to play in this global campaign adding, CRC
was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations by its resolution of
November 20, 1989, has the same meaning for people in all parts of the world.
She further stated; “We want to know where we are
now 30 years after the CRC. What is the stage of children’s rights? Children need to know their rights and even
parents should know as well.”
The Child Protection Specialist insisted; “We must
promote all opportunities that will help sound development in children. Lack of
access to developmental need is detrimental to the rights of children.”
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