Oswald Agwu
The Ebonyi Central Children’s Parliament has risen from its special sitting calling on the government to, as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate and revamp public schools’ laboratories and libraries in the area.
The sitting of the Ebonyi Children’s Parliament was held Saturday at the Ezza North Legislative Council Chamber, Ebiaji, Ebonyi State.
It was facilitated by a Civil Society Organisation, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, with support from the Saint Patrick’s Missionary Society.
The young parliamentarians in their deliberations bordering on social, economic, and political issues affecting children, upheld the importance of quality education, healthcare, and respect for rights of children in achieving a better society.
They observed that the lack of well equipped laboratories and libraries in most public schools have continued to impede practical learning and research in the area thereby limiting children’s potential.
In a 17-point communique read out by the Speaker of the parliament, Goodness Nwafor, the parliament warned that the lack of basic infrastructure, social amenities and poor security in schools predispose children to cultism and other social vices.
Other resolutions contained in the communique centred on improved healthcare, elimination of child abuse, labour and trafficking as well as issues around child/forced marriage.
It urged the government to build more child specialist and child friendly hospitals and health centres, boost security around health facilities to eliminate theft as well as intensify drug surveillance to eradicate fake and substandard drugs as a means of reducing the high rate of child mortality in the area.
The communique added: “That all well meaning Nigerians, including local government leaders should contribute to the welfare and safety of children.
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“Government should improve securities especially around borders to fish out traffickers and recover trafficked children.
“There should be more sensitization to make parents aware of the illegality of child marriage while laws against child/forced marriage should be invoked to punish any parent who compels his/her child into such marriage.”
The parliament further urged the government at all levels to work towards improving the economy to reduce hardship, which often forces parents to give out their children to early and forced marriages.
Speaking to newsmen, the Executive Director of HRCRC, George Etamesor, expressed hope that the sitting of the children’s parliament would be sustained.
Etamesor said: “We are a CSO, and we are hoping that this initiative will be sustainable.
“That, peradventure, we are unable to continue from this line, the government from the local level especially, up to the state and national, will see this as worthwhile and take hold of it and make it happen, at least once a quarter.”
He maintained that giving children such opportunities to talk about their issues themselves will help them contribute to governance and grow up into responsible adults in society.
The Chaperon of the Children’s Parliament, Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Gift Ndukwe, commended the Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre for reawakening the parliament.
Ndukwe, who represented the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Felicia Nwamkpuma, urged the parliamentarians to keep the flag flying.
Welcoming the parliamentarians, the wife of the Chairman, Ezza North LGA, Elizabeth Ogodoali Nome, assured them that the outcome of their sitting would be communicated to the appropriate quarters.
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