The National Human Right Commission (NHRC), KadunaState
Office, on Monday called on communities in the state to support stakeholders’
push for the adoption of Child Right’s Law (CRL) in the state.
The
commission’s Public Affairs Officer in the state, MalamAbdulgani Bala,
made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria.
Bala told
NAN on the side lines of a stakeholders’ validation meeting on the re-drafted
Kaduna state 2015 Child Right Law, held in Zaria, that domesticating the law in
the state was long over-due.
“Previous attempts failed
because of public misconception about the purpose and the significance of the
law, which necessitated extensive awareness campaign by relevant stakeholders
to enlighten the public.
“But not much can be achieved
without community support and involvement, which remains very crucial to the
eventual passage of the law.
“We are therefore soliciting the
support of all communities and relevant institutions in the state, so that
together, we can achieve the goal of creating an enabling environment for the
development of our children,” he said.
Bala
pointed out that the CRL would help institutions, organization and all
stakeholders in child protection in redressing issues of child rights
violations in the state.
He said
that currently, institutions involved in protection and promotion of human
rights, were faced with serious challenges due to absence of legal instrument
that would effectively address child welfare issues.
“In most cases, where a state
does not provide a law for the protection of the child, we rely on federal
laws, constitution and other national and international instruments that have
to do with human rights.
“But they slow down our efforts
because there are no clear provisions in such instruments that specifically
address child issues.
“But with the law in place, everyone
will know his or her limitations, the parents, the child, care givers and all
relevant authorities handling children issues.
“It will not only help in
seeking redress, it will also help in educating the public on the limitations
of their action; what they can do or are not supposed to do to a child.
“This will go a long way in
ensuring the holistic development of a child by providing the required
atmosphere to develop physically, emotionally, intellectually and
socio-economically, "he
said.
