ENFORCE CHILD RIGHT’S LAW— NHRC LAWYER SPEAKS OUT
REPORTER: CHIZOBA OPARA
Nigerians and various governments have been charged to ensure implementation of child’s protective laws for the betterment of the Nigerian child.
A Senior legal officer with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mrs. Ihunanyachukwu Okoroji, made the call while speaking with Radio Nigeria on Children’s Day celebrated on May, 27 every year.
The legal practitioner, decried the decline in parental role in child’s training due to negligence and ignorance of child’s rights laws, which contains legal rights for children.
She condemned increase in children’s violations across the country, attributing it to lack of protective facilities, poor monitoring, delay in trial, parental negligence, social norms, amongst others.
The legal practitioner noted that much is still needed to ensure enforcement of these provisions of the laws.
She also called for the establishment of institutions such as juvenile centers at State level, standard supervised orphanage homes, trainings for child’s care workers, teachers etc for effective monitoring.
Speaking on the theme of the 2024 Children’s Day, which is “Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology,” an Educationist Mrs. Ngozi Iwuala noted that Schools played a vital role in protecting children from online dangers.
This is by way of filtering what they access online with some protective applications to ensure that the good side of online technology is at their domain.
Mrs. Iwuala expressed regrets that some schools, due to ignorance, avoid the use of online technology, denying the learners from the growing technology of the world, excluding them from global growth.
She maintained that New digital technology impacted the way children learn, play, interact, and access information but warned that greater access to digital spaces could increase children’s risk of experiencing harm.
The World Conference on Child Welfare held in Geneva in 1925 proclaimed International Children’s Day in honor of children, though the date of observance varies by country.
The day was first established in Nigeria in 1964 and celebrated annually on May 27.
The day is dedicated to celebrating children all over the world, which also offers kids opportunity to immerse themselves in a number of social activities.
The day also aimed at drawing attention of parents, various governments and care givers on the need to pay adequate attention to spiritual, physical, Educational, emotional and social wellbeing of children.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
