...As NAU Holds Maiden Summit on Child Rights
By Uzo Ugwunze
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka, has called on all stakeholders to advocate for the promotion of children’s rights, protection, and welfare, especially in the present information age.
This call was made during the Maiden National Summit
on Child Rights, which also marked the inauguration of Child Rights Clubs in
Anambra Primary and Secondary Schools, held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
In a presentation, Mrs. Juliet
Chiluwe, Chief of the UNICEF Field Office in Enugu, represented by Dr. Ijeoma
Onuoha-Ogwe, said that adults should always consider how their decisions will
affect children. “All adults should do what is best for children. Governments
should ensure that children are protected and looked after by their parents or,
when necessary, by other people. Governments must also ensure that those
responsible for caring for children are doing so effectively.”
She continued, “The Convention
on the Rights of the Child is clear about who a child is—any person below 18
years of age. Article 23 explicitly states that every child has the right to an
education. Primary education should be free, and secondary and higher education
should be accessible to all children. Children should be encouraged to attend
school to the highest level possible. Discipline in schools must respect
children’s rights and never involve violence.”
Keynote speaker, Dean of the
Faculty of Law at NAU, Prof. V. Ogugua Ikpeze, emphasized that both male and
female children should be given equal opportunities to enjoy their fundamental
human rights, including child rights. He also called for the abolition of
harmful cultural practices like female genital mutilation. “Let us remain
vigilant to protect our children because child molestation may be happening
right under our noses, perpetrated by a family member, friend, neighbor, or
stranger. When a child’s behavior changes, we must know the next steps to take
before the damage becomes irreversible,” Ikpeze added.
Additionally, the Chairman of
the Planning Committee, Dr. Obiora Edogor, stressed the need for continued
efforts to ensure better protection of children. “We implore development
partners such as UNICEF to further assist NAU in its efforts to promote child
rights. The current information age, with its accompanying new media
technologies, adds to the challenges facing the rights of the Nigerian child,”
he said.
He expressed concern over the
dismal situation of Nigerian children, even after over 20 years since the
enactment of the Child Rights Act in 2003. He said this situation must be
addressed urgently to create a conducive environment for Nigerian children to
thrive academically, technologically, socially, and economically.
Dr. Edogor recalled how he was
inspired to focus on child rights by Prof. Chinyere Okunna, the first female
professor of mass communication in sub-Saharan Africa. “This summit is one of
the fruits of the seed Prof. Okunna planted in me. The Child Rights Clubs being
inaugurated today in all public secondary schools in Anambra State also stem from
that same seed,” he added.
During the workshop’s opening,
the Acting Vice Chancellor of NAU, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umeobi, represented by
the Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Angela Ufele-Obiesie, praised UNICEF’s
efforts in hosting the summit, the first of its kind in Nigeria. She
highlighted how today’s global concern for child rights began with the need to
protect children from the vulnerabilities they faced during World War II in
Europe.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Vice
Chancellor of Paul’s University and NUJ Matriarch, Prof. Chinyere Stella
Okunna, in her paper titled "The Role of the Nigerian Media in Bridging
the Urban and Rural Divide for Children in the Digital Age," urged
journalists to be internet-savvy and to use their influence to help children
access their rights as enshrined in the Child Rights Law, including access to
the digital space. She tasked journalists, as gatekeepers, to ensure that both
rural and urban children can take advantage of the information and
opportunities provided by digital technologies.
Contributing to the discussion,
the Executive Chairman of ASUBEB, Dr. Vera Nkiru Nwadinobi, stated, “We are
committed to fighting for children’s rights. Children must be treated with
respect and equality, and they have the fundamental right to life, protection,
and education.” She also thanked UNICEF and noted that Anambra State Governor
Chukwuma Soludo has made significant efforts to ensure that out-of-school
children are back in school, including the employment of over 8,000 teachers,
some of whom were posted to remote areas. The Governor has also declared free
education for all public primary and secondary schools, and instructed
principals to refund all tuition paid by Senior Secondary School students in
public schools this term.
Other dignitaries and resource
persons who contributed to the two-day summit included the National Summit
Chairman, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe,
represented by former NBA Awka Branch Chairman, Barr. Amaka Ezeno; President of
the Association of Childhood Educators of Nigeria, Prof. Ngozi Anyikwa; Head of
the Department of Mass Communication at NAU, Prof. Allen Adum; NAU Registrar
Mr. Sam Ufoh, represented by Deputy Registrar Dr. Blessing Ezeafulukwe;
Nigerian Union of Journalists State Chairman Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu; and
Managing Director of Anambra Broadcasting Service, Mr. Christopher Molokwu, represented
by Ms. Sandra Akpan.
Highlights of the summit
included the inauguration of Child Rights Clubs in Anambra public primary and
secondary schools by UNICEF and the establishment of a six-member committee to
draft a template for child rights reporting for journalists.
Post a Comment