By Francis Sardauna
The Speaker of the Katsina State Children’s Parliament, Ibrahim Maharazu, has lamented that the cases of abuse, molestation and rape in the country have been on the increase.
He expressed displeasure that even in the 21st century, there were still a lot of discrimination and violence against children, particularly girl-child across the country.
According to him, such discrimination included malnutrition, lack of access to medical care and education, incest, early marriage, forced abortion, genital mutilation, and harmful traditional practices such as dowry-related violence.
He explained that other forms of discrimination were killings, rituals, denial of economic resources, sexual harassment, exploitation and trafficking of children.
Maharazu, who was speaking during a press conference organised by the Save the Children International (SCI) to commemorate the 2020 World Children’s Day, called on governments to design workable measures that will checkmate impediments confronting children.
He said as the nation continues to grapple with numerable cases of child rights infringement, there was need for government to implement all laws protecting children in order to avert child abuses currently ravaging the state.
“All forms of abuses and disrespect for the children, especially girl-child must be totally eliminated. The federal government should implement all laws protecting children,” the speaker added.
Consequently, he admonished state governments to ensure more enrollment, retention and completion of girl-child in school to eradicate the spate of out-of-school children across the state.
Earlier, the Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator of the Save the Children International, Murjanatu Kabir, said children’s lives are being impacted by conflict, violence and exploitation.
She therefore called on government at all levels to adopt measures that will prevent children from violence, sexual abuses and other challenges militating against their education.
