The Katsina Children’s Parliament has called for the domestication of the Child Rights Act (CRA) in the state to address challenges faced by children.
Arewa Trust reports that the Act provides legal framework for addressing abuses being faced by children.
The law is yet to be domesticated in the state.
The parliament made the call in a resolution at its sitting that took place at the chambers of the state House of Assembly.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Mubarak Yantaba, said the law when passed would serve as a yardstick for the protection of children against abuses.
He said the law also provided for right to education, health and other life improvement conditions to every child.
It also criminalises child abuse and molestations as well as child’s discrimination either by government or individuals.
Yantaba said when domesticated the law would ensure that every child in the state, especially the girl-child, is educated to the highest level.
“For us to make informed choices and decisions regarding health and other critical life defining issues, there is the need for proper legislation to guide all gender and adolescent right issues. Doing so will help guard against rash, one – sided and ill-informed choices and decisions” he said
He also called for measures to stop the menace of violence among the youth.
He said this could be achieved by scaling up campaigns against drug abuse especially among the youth which was the cause of the violence.
“It is our prayers that our homes, streets and schools would be free from all forms of drug abuse.”
The speaker called on the executive arm of government to make the law available to the legislature for its domestication.
Yantaba also called on the assembly to create a standing committee on Children Affairs where children- related issues can be addressed.
The session, organised by the Save the Children Fund, was attended by representatives from the 34 local government areas in the state.
Nigeria adopted the national Child Rights Act in 2003 to domesticate the international Convention on the Rights of the Child. So far, State-wide Child Rights Acts have been passed in 24 of the Nigeria’s 36 states, with Enugu being the most recent to enact the law in December 2016.
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