From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts (PAC), Bamidele Salam, has called on the government to take measures to improve security in schools in the country.
Salam stated this, while speaking on the sideline of an event organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Children of Africa Leadership and Values Development Initiative (CALDEV), to mark the 2023 Universal Children’s Day, yesterday, in Abuja.
The lawmaker said it is imperative to increase security in schools due to the attacks on schools in parts of the country by criminals, including bandits and insurgents. He said attacks on schools have increased the number of out-of-school children, in the country.
Salam, who decried the large number of out-of-school children in the country, said there is need for the government and all stakeholders to collaborate to address the challenge.
According to him, “one of the very important issues this conference is set out to address is the issue of out-of-school children. It is not a cheering news that Africa’s largest economy, the biggest nation in the black world has 13.5 million children out of school.
“No nation can expect to accelerate development and growth with this number of children out-of-school, and we should be able to proffer solutions to this problem in a manner that will be sustainable.
“We also have an interesting discussion on school security. In certain parts of this country, it is unfortunate that, for a child to go to school, we need extra security because of attacks on children by bandits and hoodlums.
“We also have various types of threats, especially for the girl-child in different parts of the federation. And these are things we believe that, as government, as community leaders, as opinion moulders, as civil society people, we should all focus our attention on.”
In another instance, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Disabilities, Bashiru Dawodu, promised to ensure the full implementation of the Persons With Disabilities (PWD) Act.
Dawodu, who made the pledge, yesterday, at a stakeholders meeting, said the House will also work towards the review of the Act, to prescribe stiffer penalties for defaulters.
According to him, there are a lot lacuna in the PWD Act, such that amendment to the law will not cure the defects. Consequently, the House is working towards a repeal and re-enactment of the Act.
The lawmaker said the parliament would work to ensure five per cent of employments in the country are reserved for PWDs, noting that the Child’s Right Act needed to be amended to include the concerns raised by stakeholders.
He said: “I want to announce to you that the process to re-enact the PWD Act is already ongoing in the House.
The input of stakeholders will be collated at the public hearing; the committee will ensure full enforcement of PWD Act, the law of the land must be implemented. We will ensure any employment made in this country, 5 per cent must be reserved for PWD.”
Earlier, stakeholders called on the parliament to amend relevant laws to protect children with disabilities in the country.
Executive Director, Women and Girls with Albinism Network, Constance Onyemeachi, expressed concerns that children with albinism are first targets for rape and child trafficking.
Onyemeachi said this is because of the myths and superstition surrounding albinism as a genetic condition.