Nation
UNICEF Lauds Kebbi Over Child Rights Act
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended Kebbi State Government for enacting the Child Protection Law and urged its full implementation.
UNICEF Country Representative Peter Hawkins, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi, the State capital.
It would be noted that the Kebbi State Child Protection Bill was signed into law by Gov. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State at a weekly Executive Council meeting held at the Council Chambers of Government House, Birnin Kebbi recently.
Similarly, the Governor signed into law, the Prohibition of Violence Against Individuals Bill during the weekly Executive Council meeting.
Hawkins said by signing the law, the Kebbi State Government, became the 31st state to domesticate the Nigeria Child Rights Act (CRA) passed by Nigeria’s National Assembly in 2003.
The UNICEF Country Representative congratulated the state government on signing into law, the state’s Child Rights Bill passed by the State House of Assembly.
He called on the State Government to allocate and release adequate resources and put in place mechanisms for full implementation of the law to grant children the rights enshrined in it.
“We congratulate the government and people of Kebbi state on this momentous achievement. By providing legislation that protects the rights of its children, Kebbi State has taken the right decision to provide its children the enabling environment to thrive and reach their full potential.
“Putting in place this law is good but just the first step. The Kebbi state government must take the next important step by putting in place structures and allocating resources for its full implementation.
“UNICEF urges that the law be gazetted without delay,” Hawkins noted.
He said UNICEF would continue to collaborate with Kebbi state government on interventions that contribute to the fulfillment of the rights of children, including the implementation of the Kebbi State Child Rights Law.
Hawkins admonished other states that were yet to domesticate the Nigeria Child Rights Act to do so without any further delay.
He recalled that in 2003, Nigeria’s National Assembly enacted the Child Rights Act (CRA), which derives from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to which Nigeria is a signatory; and all of Nigeria’s 36 States are expected to domesticate the law.
Hawkins, however, said that not all states of the federation domesticated the law.
The country rep. added that “by signing the Child Rights Bill into law, Kebbi state has joined the group of states which have a legislative framework through the domestication of the Nigeria Child Rights Act.
“Thirty-one states have so far enacted the state equivalents of the Child Rights Act. Five (5) states are yet to domesticate the law: Adamwa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano and Zamfara.
“To contribute to the fulfilment of children’s rights in Nigeria, UNICEF, in collaboration with partners, has been supporting government at the state and federal levels to put in place laws and policies which address child rights issues, and the Kebbi State Child Protection Law is one of the results of such efforts.”
###
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.
-
News4 days ago
Port modernisation remains a priority – FG
-
Opinion4 days ago
Proposed ‘12-4’ Education Policy: How Sustainable?
-
Sports4 days ago
Nwabali Remains First Choice Goalkeeper
-
Sports4 days ago
NWFL: Angels Coach Praise Players Despite Draw Against Bayelsa Queen
-
News4 days ago
‘Go To Hell’, Ribadu Slams Canada For Denying Military Chiefs Visa
-
Nation4 days ago
Fire Guts Seven-Storey Building In Lagos
-
Business4 days ago
Agency Boss Seeks Improvement In Revenue Collection, Accountability
-
Rivers4 days ago
Moremonee Appointment Rivers Man As Brand Rep