“Child Right Act getting desired attention in Gombe – SCI
Save the Children International (SCI) has commended policy-makers in Gombe State for standing to support the Better Life for Girls as well as other children in the state.
According to SCI, the support and commitment of key actors in the state were displayed through the transmission of the Child Rights Act (CRA) as an executive bill for passage by the state house of assembly.
Speaking to newsmen through its interim manager of Towards Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria (TECM) Project of SCI in Gombe, Mr Akpan Effiong, SCI stated that the struggle for the domestication of the CRA which had been on for about 16 years has thrived.
He said: “For the fact that the bill was sent to the house of assembly as executive alone is a sign of the commitment”.
The project manager added saying: “the bill has so far passed the first and second reading on the floor of the house and now awaits public hearing”.
Mr Akpan who also commended the governments of Gombe and Katsina State for domesticating and launching of the State Strategy on Better Life for Girls called for more enlightenment and awareness creation by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Media on the contents of the Act.
He stated that the CRA bill have since scaled through in Katsina State house of assembly and have been assented to by the state governor. Hence, Akpan called for more conceited efforts for the bill to be pass in Gombe State. He stated that the bill is the instrument that will ensure protection of children in the state.
He said both states have domesticated and launched the State Strategy on Better life for Girls and in Gombe State “the wife of the Governor ,Personally launched the document” saying this an indication of political will to make life better for Girls.
Mr Effiong highlighted that SCI was in Kaduna with a group of Journalists and members of CSOs on an Advocacy Toolkit Development and Compilation of Success Stories Training to further boost development and empowerment of the girl-child.
He explained that the objectives of the training were to update and review the toolkits and to identify success stories for the development of a compendium which will be presented to the funder for more support to improve girls enrolled in schools as well as reduce the rate of out-of-school girls in both states.
“Child Right Act getting desired attention in Gombe – SCI