Opening Charge

‘Apart from the fact that we have been intimated with basic rights of the child, I believe we have also been enlightened about who is responsible for what. The goal is to help us know what our responsibilities are as parents, guardians, care givers and other direct custodians of the life of the child, so that we can make a commitment to an unalloyed faithfulness.’

My dear friends and fellow soldiers in the defence of the destiny of our children, I am sure our day is taking shape. I am glad to be with you again today, fulfilling destiny. I am sure you are also in search of destiny as you visit this page today.

Join me as I continue from where I stopped yesterday, highlighting the major provisions of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003. I am persuaded that you will find the exercise interesting and rewarding and above all informative and inspiring as you pursue the best interest of the child. Here we go:

• Every government in Nigeria shall strive to reduce infant mortality rate, provide medical and health care, adequate nutrition and safe drinking water, hygienic and sanitized environments, combat diseases and malnutrition, support and mobilize through local and community resources, the development of primary health care for children.

• Provisions for children in need of special protection measures (mentally, physically challenged, or street children): they are protected in a manner that would enable them achieve their fullest, possible social integration, and moral development.

• Expectant and nursing mothers shall be catered for, and every parent or guardian having legal custody of a child under the age of two years shall ensure its immunization against diseases, or face judicial penalties.

• Betrothal and marriage of children are prohibited.

• Causing tattoos or marks, and female genital mutilation/cutting are made punishable offences under the Act; and so also is the exposure to pornographic materials, trafficking of children, their use of narcotic drugs, or the use of children in any criminal activities, abduction and unlawful removal or transfer from lawful custody, and employment of children as domestic helps outside their own home or family environment.

• Child abduction and forced exploitative labour (which is not of a light nature) or in an industrial undertaking are also stated to be offences. The exceptions to these provisions are where the child is employed by a family member, in work that is of an agricultural or horticultural or domestic in nature, and if such a child is not required to carry or move anything heavy that is likely to adversely affect its moral, mental, physical, spiritual or social development.

• Buying, selling, hiring or otherwise dealing in children for purpose of begging, hawking, prostitution or for unlawful immoral purposes are made punishable by long terms of imprisonment. Other offences considered grave include sexual abuse, general exploitation which is prejudicial to the welfare of the child, recruitment into the armed forces and the importation /exposure of children to harmful publications. It further preserves the continued application of all criminal law provisions securing the protection of the child whether born or unborn.

Apart from the fact that we have been intimated with basic rights of the child, I believe we have also been enlightened about who is responsible for what. The goal is to help us know what our responsibilities are as parents, guardians, care givers and other direct custodians of the life of the child, so that we can make a commitment to an unalloyed faithfulness.

Beyond the foregoing I desire a situation where we all can put pressure on our governments at all levels to be faithful to their responsibilities to the Nigerian Child as enshrined in the Child’s Rights Act, 2003.  It is my hope that I have been able to have a good shot at my goal today.

Do have yourselves an INSPIRED day. See you tomorrow.

I’m Taiwo Akinlami & I Lead the TeacherFIRE™ Revolution

POINT 2 PONDER:

‘I am persuaded that you will find the exercise interesting and rewarding and above all informative and inspiring as you pursue the best interest of the child.’

NOTE THESE:

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