The Adamawa State House of Assembly has held a Hearing on Child Rights Act, to help it generate inputs from the public for a successful passage of the bill into law.
Held in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the European Union Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, RoLAC, the Adamawa State House of Assembly said the hearing aimed at ensuring that the process was conducted without any challenge.
The Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Mr. Aminu Abbas promised a speedy passage of the bill into law, as the Ststenis among the six states in Nigeria yet to domesticate the law.
Mr. Abbas called on the public to scrutinise the bill with an open mind, placing the interest of Adamawa Children and the state above all else.
He said that “the public hearing would enable the Adamawa State House of Assembly to generate inputs from the public for a successful passage of the bill into law.
“We at the state assembly will pass whatever this forum decides to be put in the bill and it will be left to the executive for the ascent. But we will do our own best.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Adamawa Assembly Ad-hoc Committee on Child Protection Bill, Mr. Hammantukur Yettisuri, said the committee needed inputs from stakeholders so that it would not be at variance with the wishes and aspirations of the people.
Mr. Yettisuri, who is also the Majority Leader of the Adamawa State assembly, said “there was a need for the public hearing because of the cultural and religious diversities that abound in the state.”
“We are trying to also domesticate the bill but after taking into consideration our background in Adamawa State from a religious and tribal perspective, the bill is having a problem with some of the existing cultures. So we deemed it fit to organise public hearing so that we get input from the general public in order to ease the process of passing this bill into law,” Mr. Yettisuri explained.
The Coordinator of RoLAC in Adamawa State, Mrs. Hafsat Abdullahi, said “the public hearing would serve as the bedrock for the smooth passage of the bill by the Adamawa State House of Assembly.”
Mrs. Abdullahi said she had participated in all processes of the bill up to its second reading and gave the assurances that if passed into law, it would protect Adamawa children against crime and other social vices.
She said; “Some of us may understand when we talk of right we are saying that the child has a right to take his parents to court. Going through this particular bill you will get to know that is all about protecting the child. Not given the child special powers that will go against his parents but rather given him obligation and his responsibility to his parents and community.”
Abdullahi further commended the Child Protection Network for its efforts to ensure that the bill was passed into law.
A member representing Vere Constituency and sponsor of the Bill, Mr. Abdullahi Yafak, said the bill was expected to be passed into law within two weeks after the public hearing.
He said if passed into law, the bill would help, among other things, reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.
Mercy Chukeudiebere
