2022 CHILDREN’S DAY: PARENTS & FG MUST BE COMMITTED TO UPHOLD CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
By Jauhar S. Salihu
“Children are the trustees of posterities. It is the children that migrate to adulthood. Hence taking care of children is the recipe to a prosperous future. It is on the basis of this that the Federal Government is making conscious, deliberate and concerted efforts to ensure that the welfare of children is uplifted in the country” – HAGF Abubakar Malami
It is believe that every child have the right to live comfortably from the moment he/she is conceived in the womb, he or she has a right to live that is why in most countries of the world, they prohibited abortion except if it involves health challenge. It is against the rights of the child. Also, after a child is born, the child has right to live and nothing should be done to take his or her life.
Human Rights are for everyone and the most marginalized people in the world are women and child most especially children labourers, some children are into slavery! We don’t tolerate someone disrespecting our family or friends as they are also human beings, then why do we tolerate violation of human rights of children in the society? We ought to take a pledge to respect every human being and help us protect and promote the human rights of children in slavery. Child Slavery! Yes this is a reality. If children of the world are in chains, the world is ought to be chained! no country can be truly free if its children are denied freedom.
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I am glad that Federal Government has provided age and gender-sensitive juvenile justice mechanisms and alternatives to detention for children on the move and vulnerable children, the Nigeria child would benefit from the child-friendly justice sector. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice currently engages respective Heads of Courts to establish Specialized Court for the speedy and seamless trial of Rape/Gender-Based Violence Offences in the county.
In addition, I used to feel sad whenever I come across school age children begging and hawking on the street between the age of 10-15 these children are soft target for violent extremism and sexual molestation.
To every vulnerable school age children out there who were being exposed to this archaic tradition of street begging and hawking. If care is not taken these children they stand a chance to become a potential targets of violent extremism and sexual abuses.
Children must be treated equally. No child should be treated badly because the child is a boy or a girl, or because of color of skin, language, enthnicity or religion. All over the world, only people who are not well-informed not able to take good care of their children and left it for the street to train them. It is the right of the child to be allowed to become doctor, judge, journalist, police, minister, governor or president. Children should be allowed to rise to any position as long as he or she works hard for it.
Finally, Parents should make sure their children attend school to learn not to be allowed living on the street to earn. Federal government should make sure that every child living in the country can access free education at least for the first 12 years. Hunger and poverty were responsible for children begging and hawking on the streets, government, particularly at the state level ought to prioritise welfare of their citizens to address hunger and poverty. All hand must be on deck to say no to child labour and say yes to child education because if we educate a child it is as if we have educate the entire nation because they are the future of the country.
