Union urges FG to update child labour laws

chika ebuzor

June 9, 2016 4:56 PM

The NLC Head of International Relations, Mr Uchenna Ekwe said the existing laws in Nigeria are out-dated.

Ayuba Wabba

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The NLC Head of International Relations, Mr Uchenna Ekwe said the existing laws in Nigeria are out-dated.

He said this at the 2016 International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference holding in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ekwe said the Federal Government needs to update the laws, so the rights of the Nigerian child will be protected.

He also called on the government to pass into law, free and compulsory primary and secondary education for every child in the country.

Ekwe said “Even if you do not need every child to go to the university, any person with qualitative primary and secondary education can hold their own anywhere in the world.

“Those that have the capacity to go into further intellectual base university can do that, but every other person must move away from the minimum poverty line.

“If people think that education is expensive, there is a saying that you should try ignorance.”

He said a law should also be passed to discourage children below 15 years from working, adding that if they must, they should be allowed to finish secondary school.

Ekwe also said “I know that ILO has urged the Nigerian government to quickly amend the Child Law Act to meet the provisions of Convention 138.

“Two, they have offered to send technical assistant to help train the trainer.

“And the issue of training and supervisory inspectorate divisions to check, including domestic violence to know the level under age people are treated.

“That will include the punishment for engaging people under certain age, in certain work.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, while speaking to newsmen at the 105th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), threatened that the Federal Government will withdraw the licences of banks that insisted on sacking workers, despite the Federal Government’s order, asking them to stop.

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chika ebuzor