Okowa's govt’ll not compromise Child's Development Policy ----Aniagwu
(Nigeria) Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu,
said the government under the leadership of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa will not
compromise the Child's Development Policy as entrenched in the Delta State
Child Rights Law of 2009.
He insisted that the future belongs to the children of today
and so government had a duty to give them a pride of place in governance.
Aniagwu made this assertion today while playing host to
members of the Delta State Child Rights Implementation Committee who were on
advocacy visit to his office, to solicit his assistance in creating awareness
on the implication of abuse of children's rights ahead of full execution of the
Child Rights Law.
He expressed happiness at the modus the committee had
adopted to carry out its assignment as backed by law, stating that every hand
must be on deck to actualise the all-important child development duty of the
state.
"The father, the mother, the uncle and auntie of today
were children of yesterday.
"Whether you are destined to be a president or
governor, if your childhood was compromised you can never successfully fulfill
your purpose in life.
"This Government can never compromise the development
of children either as a policy or what the law says in this circumstance,
because the protection of children's rights is not an achievement for our today
but an achievement for our future," Aniagwu said.
Speaking further, he pledged to collaborate with the
committee in publicizing its activities and creating awareness on the
implication of breaking the law on child rights and welfares.
"Reach us any time for assistance in the areas of
publicity, especially for those we can handle free for you. Your assignment is
noble, because children belong to the vulnerable group. It behoves on all of us
to protect them; even particularly the girl children and then women.
"While the sovernment will play its part, we also pray
that the economy of the parents improves so they don't have excuses to properly
train their children for the proper development of society. However, be that as
it may, the law must take its course on anyone that breaks it," the
commissioner added.
Earlier, while briefing the commissioner on the mission of
the committee, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Mrs
Bridget Anyafulu, gave a historical perspective on the Child Rights Act of
2003, which was domiciled in the state as Child Rights Law in 2009.
She affirmed that under Senator Okowa as governor, the
proper protection of children became imperative, hence the inauguration of the
Delta State Child Rights Implementation Committee in January, 2020.
Anyafulu, a lawyer, said that with the passing of the State
VAP Law, the committee now had two serious legal documents to fight for the
protection of every child in the state, because according to her, “Every Child
Counts.
"Your ministry is key to the success of this committee.
That is why we have come seeking your partnership in sensitization and
awareness creation to let every parent in the state know that there is a Child
Rights Implementation Committee in place.
"This advocacy visit and request for collaboration in
publicity is for the whole world to know what we have done so far and how Delta
State upholds respect for children's rights and welfares.
“We are even doing radio and television awareness programmes
on the law. This is because by the time we start the full execution of the law,
nobody will say he didn't know about it," Anyafulu posited.
Other members of the Committee on the visit included the Chairman of the Advocacy Sub-Committee, Ven. Kingsley Dieli and the representative of NUJ, Patrick Ochei.
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