Children’s Day: FCTA reiterates commitment to protection, welfare of children

The Minister of State, in the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has reiterated the administration’s commitment to the protection and general welfare of children in the territory.

Aliyu gave the assurance at a joint news conference organised by the FCT in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja Nigeria’s capital  to commemorate the 2021 National Children’s Day.

The minister who was represented by the Acting Director of FCTA, Social Development Secretarial, Dr Kelvin Ike revealed that the FCT authority had made frantic efforts to protect children against COVID-19 pandemic, adding that all FCT child institution and schools were operating with strict compliance with COVID-19 preventive guidelines.

The Minister noted that the administration was not lagging in caring for the orphans and vulnerable children, adding that the administration was doing everything possible to support vulnerable children to attain their maximum potential in life.

Aliyu, however, expressed concerned of the FCT administration to the menace of street children which had been a very serious challenge to the administration.

She listed the categories of street children to includes; street beggars, hawkers, and the al-majiris.

Acccording to her, these are children that are supposed to be in the school but find themselves on the street begging or hawking.

” We are not relenting in our efforts to address the menace. FCT administration is not relenting in the struggle to eliminate the menace of street children.

” We are in the process of reconstituting the Child Right Implementation Committee as provided in the Child Right Act, 2003 towards that effect.

” The committee when put in place will be embarking on activities such as advocacy, preventive, institutional and follow up programmes which will go a long way in addressing the menace,” Aliyu said.

She, therefore, appealed to parents, guardians, religious and traditional rulers, NGOs and concerned individuals to support the administration in the struggle to ensure that children are placed in their rightful positions.

The minister also assured all hands are on deck to protect children, particularly in schools and child welfare institutions.

Also the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, solicited the support of Governors and State Legislatures and other critical stakeholders to push for the domestication of the Child Rights Act, 2003 and VAPP Act 2015.

Tallen used the occasion to urge the media to continue to report and bring to the attention of stakeholders every incident of child abuses and violations.

Earlier, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, commended efforts at all levels to protect education and  health services in response to the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children.

Ime N