Children’s Day: Buhari tasks governors, others on out-of-school children

President Muhammadu Buhari has used this year’s occasion of the Children’s Day Celebration to call on state governors and other stakeholders to join hands in rescuing Nigerian children who are out of school and are roaming the streets.

Buhari who addressed the children in Abuja during the celebration and march past parade, said it was worrisome to have some children still very vulnerable.

The resident who was represented by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, also urged state governors to work towards the domestication and effective implementation of the Child Rights Act, 2003.

He has also urged ministries, departments and agencies, even teachers, and all stakeholders to make more commitment towards the protection of children, while resisting any practice that have been proven to be harmful to them.

“I call on all states to domesticate and effectively implement the Child Rights Act, 2003 and the VAPP Act, 2015; remove our children from the streets and enroll them in schools (both formal and informal); end harmful social norms and practices against children; put a framework in place to ensure children access justice both as victims and as offenders and improve birth registration which is critical for national planning and governance functions as well as serves as a foundation for achieving progress in child protection and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

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“I urge all Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Civil Society Organizations, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, international partners, religious leaders, traditional leaders, the media, the private sectors, the teachers and most importantly parents to collectively renew our commitment to protect our children from all forms of violence in our homes, in schools, parks, child care centers, worship places and everywhere our children may be. We must be proactive and leverage on the legal frameworks and policy instruments that are designed for the safety of children. We must adopt and implement laws and policies that prevent violence against our children, create a safe and protective environment for children, change our perceptions of violence and redouble our efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and provide justice to victims of violence.”

Buhari equally implored foreign partners to support government’s polices and programmes that promote children’s welfare and development.

He added: “I invite donor agencies and implementing partners across the country to support Government’s efforts to strengthen capacities of key stakeholders including psychosocial support services for children, social welfare and child friendly justice services that prevent and respond to violence against children, strengthen parental and caregiver support approaches, support the development, coordination and implementation of an inter-sectoral intervention programmes such as the national multi sectoral plan of Action on Nutrition”.

Also Speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, said government was giving serious attention to issues that affect women and children, as a measure to fortifying the family.

Tallen who was represented by a Director in the Ministry, Idris Mohammed, also urged all stakeholders to fight vigorously against all forms of injustice that affect the Women and children.