By Justina Auta
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen has urged state governments to conduct children’s Parliamentary elections to promote the rights, protection of children against violence and harmful practices.
She made the call at the inauguration of the newly elected 7th National Children’s Parliament in Abuja on Wednesday.
Tallen said the children’s Parliament was a platform for promoting child’s rights and facilitate their participation in all matters affecting them in accordance with the law.
“I wish to use this platform once again to passionately appeal to the remaining States to conduct elections of their State Children’s Parliament.
The minister, while congratulating the new parliamentarians, urged Save the Children Nigeria, UNICEF and other stakeholders to continue to support them for effective performance.
She reiterated the commitment of the federal government, through the ministry to continue to promote the rights of children and addressing challenges affecting them.
Mr Amanuel Mamo, Director Advocacy and Campaign Save the Children International Nigeria, reiterated their commitment towards promoting education and rights of children.
“Children are experiencing several challenges including sexual abuse, molestation, violence including rape and other challenges in the country.
“We would like to urge the national children’s parliament to be part of the discussion regarding the next generation that we would like to see in this country.
“Therefore, we call upon the government to double its investment in children’s rights and prioritise the poor implementation of child’s rights policies and strategies nationwide,”he said.
The UNICEF’s Country Representative to Nigeria, Cristian Munduate said the children’s parliament represent a manifestation Nigeria government commitment to protect the rights of children.
Munduate was represented by Mr Godwin Chinedu-Odo, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF.
He appealed to the newly inaugurated parliament to review the comments of the seven point agenda of the National Policy Dialogue.
“We appeal that at the next sitting of the Children’s Parliament; they should try and review the content of the agenda.
“It represents the commitment that the Nigerian government has made to Nigerian children and look at which aspect has been implemented and then demand implementation.
“That is how you can now say ably representing all the children in Nigeria as their representative in the children’s parliament,” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said the platform provides a voice and participatory role to children in national development.
Mohammed, represented by Mrs Comfort Ajiboye, urged the parliamentarians to be inclusive and representing the vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the parliament.
Miss Umeh Progress, 13-year old newly inaugurated Speaker of the Children’s Parliament, said Nigeria has progressed in terms of protection of children such as the CRA, VAPP and other Child Protection policies.
“A lot still need to be done to ensure the survival, security and equality of the Nigerian child.
“We must ensure that Female Genital Mutilation, Child Trafficking and labour, sexual exploitation and harassment of children and other harmful practices that impacts the lives of the Nigerian children become an issue of the past,” she said.
She said that the seventh National Children Parliament would ensure the domestication and full implementation of the CRA in all states the FCT.
“We must go beyond just domestication, but ensure each and every state, begins to implement the Child Rights Law.
“We will work in translating the CRA into local languages so that every child is aware and has a copy.
“Our administration will create a platform that with the support of key other stakeholders to express their concerns about their development, survival and participation.
“We will work closely with the state ministries of Women Affairs to create a platform for policy dialogue between the national and state assembly,” she said.
Other members of the newly elected seventh Children’s Parliament include: Sulaiman Zannah from Borno state as the Deputy Speaker, amongst others.
