Abduction: Minister advises states to review policies, improve security in schools

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, has advised state governments to review policies and improve security in schools to check kidnapping.

She gave the advice on Wednesday during an event to commemorate The Day of the African Child with the theme “30 years after the adoption of the charter: Accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children” in Abuja.

According to her, state governments and security agencies should rededicate to the Safe School declaration and ensure its practical implementation to protect children from incessant attacks and disruption of education.

She said “endorsement of the safe school declaration is not sufficient as implementation of this project is critical to preventing and responding to attacks on education, including those targeted toward women and girls.

“State governments must also review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and materials and rededicate such resource to improving security around schools”, she said.

The National Speaker of the Children’s Parliament, Maisara Abbas, also called on state governments to go beyond the domestication of the Child Rights Act and establish implementation measures that would guarantee the protection of children and punish violators of the act.

He said “you cannot adopt a law without implementing it. Implementation is what matters.

“I, therefore, want to reiterate that state governors should please expedite action toward implementing the Child Rights Act.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured two panel discussions on promoting and securing the rights of the African child through education.

Children panellists at the event stressed the need for government and stakeholders to provide quality and accessible education for children to identify and harness their potential for the development of Africa.

Other highlights include a candle light procession in honour of the children that died in the 1976 protest in Soweto, South Africa, and Nigerian children that lost their lives in the course of their educational pursuit.