Ibrahim Dankwambo calls for intensified efforts to check violence against children

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June 7, 2017 5:05 PM

He said that any act of violation of the rights of children should be viewed seriously and culprits, punished accordingly.

Court gavel

Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe on Wednesday challenged traditional rulers, religious leaders and Human Rights activists to re-double their efforts at checking the increase in cases of violence against children.

Dankwambo, represented by his deputy, Mr Charles Iliya, threw the challenge in Gombe while flagging –off the commencement of awareness campaign to end violence against children in the state.

He assured that the state government would not shake in its responsibility of ensuring the implementation of programmes aimed at ending violence against children.

In her speech, Mrs. Rabi Daniel, State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, said her ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), would put a robust mechanism in place to check acts of violence against children.

Also speaking, UNICEF Country Representative, Mr. Mohamed Fall, said violence against children should be the concern of everybody.

Represented by Dr Abdulai Kaikai, Chief of Bauchi Field Office, UNICEF Nigeria, Fall said in September 2015, Nigeria made commitment to end violence against children when President Muhammadu Buhari launched an action plan on the issue.

He said that while commitment at the national level was paramount, same should also be extracted at the state and ward levels.

He commended Gombe state government for taking a bold step, being the fifth after Lagos, Cross River, Benue and Plateau, to launch a campaign targeted at eradicating violence against children.

In their separate remarks, clerics representing the two major religions stressed the need to ensure the protection of children.

Rev. Chris Gwadabe, Vice chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Gombe state, said children were gift from God, as such should be protected by all means.

Malam Mohammed Gidado, representative of Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), Gombe state, advocated for stiff punishment for the perpetrators of violence against children

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