The Federal Government has stressed the need for critical actors in the implementation of the Child’s Rights Act to be part of the process of actualizing the rights of children in the country.
Ifeoma Anagbogu, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, stated this on Monday in Kaduna, at a retreat organised for members of the National Child’s Rights Implementation Committee, NCRIC.
According to her, the retreat would give members “in depth understanding of your roles and responsibilities as members of the NCRIC, so that you will deliver effectively towards the implementation of the rights of the child in Nigeria.’’
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the NCRIC is charged with the mandate of popularizing the provisions of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003.
Mrs Anagbogu, represented by Jummai Mohammed, Director, Child Development in the Ministry, also said the retreat would provide “a stepping stone for the development of reports toward our international commitments, such as the 5th and 6th Country periodic report, which has been due for submission a long time ago.’’
She also commended the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (ROLAC) of the British Council for sponsoring the retreat.
Also speaking, the Director of Child Development, Mrs Mohammed, recalled that the NCRIC was established in 1994 in compliance with the obligations of the UN Convention and the AU Charter of the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
She listed them as: “Popularising the treaties, reviewing the state of implementation of the rights of the child in Nigeria,’’ among others.
Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, Co-Chairman of NCRIC, who also spoke, enumerated the roles of members of the NCRIC.
He said that as members of the NCRI, it is mandatory they must be advocates in all issues that would boost the rights of the Nigerian child.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Woman Affairs and Social Development is chairman of the committee, while members were drawn from relevant ministries, agencies and partners.
NAN
