Dogara seeks end to child labour

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has said that deliberate efforts must be made to put an end to the exploitation of children across the country.

In a statement to commemorate the 2018 Children’s Day, signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan, Dogara also expressed concern that many Nigerian children were deprived access to education.

““We at the House of Representatives are deeply concerned about the challenges which plague Nigerian children.

“”Child labour, molestation and other acts of exploitation should have no place in our society and we all must work towards creating an enabling environment which allows all our children to thrive.

““Many Nigerian children are on the receiving end of issues such as being subjected to domestic violence and being deprived of education,’’ he said.

According to him, these children are our future and this is why the House of Representatives recently adopted a motion on the need to put an end to child labour, molestation and other forms of abuse.

He said the Legislators were hopeful that the Executive would implement the resolutions of the House by taking the required steps and called on states which are yet to, to domesticate the Child Rights Act to do so.

Dogara noted that Nigeria, with one of the highest rates of children out of school in the world, must design and implement policies which will change the trend.

““Our children are our future, and the glory of this nation depends on each and every one of them being equipped with the necessary skills to contribute their quota to national development.

“”Our schools must be safe; parents who live below the poverty line should be able to put their children in school at no extra cost.

““In areas where enrolment is particularly low, incentives may be offered while parents are also made to face penalties for not enrolling their children in school.”

The Speaker said only when all children have access to education, “could we speak of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty’’.