BY OLORUNFERANMI ODOFIN
AS NIGERIA JOINS OTHER COUNTRIES TO COMMEMORATE THE DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD, PARENTS HAVE BEEN CAUTIONED AGAINST PROCREATION OF CHILDREN THEY CANNOT CATER FOR
SOME STAKEHOLDERS MADE THE CALL IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 2020 DAY OF AFRICAN CHILD IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE 1976 SOWETO STUDENTS’ PROTEST IN SOUTH AFRICA.
ESTABLISHED IN 1991 BY THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY, DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD IS AIMED AT RAISING AWARENESS FOR THE SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN AFRICA AND ON THE NEED TO CONTINUOSLY IMPROVE ON THEIR EDUCATION.
THE DAY ALSO PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGHLY SPIRITED INDIVIDUALS TO GIVE TO CHILDREN AND TO ADDRESS CHILD MARRIAGE AT LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS
SOME CHILDREN SPOKE ON THEIR LEVEL OF AWARENESS ABOUT THE DAY OF AFRICAN CHILD WHICH ITS THEME FOR THIS YEAR IS, “ACCESS TO A CHILD-FRIENDLY JUSTICE SYSTEM IN AFRICA”.
ARE THERE CHILD-FRIENDLY JUSTICE SYSTEM IN NIGERIA, BEING A GIANT OF AFRICA? A CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER, MR AFOLABI AMURE SAID THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN WERE CLEARLY STATED IN THE CONSTITUTION.
MR AMURE WHO WAS A PERMANENT SECRETARY IN THE ONDO STATE EDUCATION SECTOR, SPOKE ON HOW SUPPORTIVE THE LAWS WERE AND CAUTIONED PARENTS AGAINST THE PROCREATION OF CHILDREN THEY COULD NOT CATER FOR
DESCRIBING YEAR 2020 DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD’S THEME AS TIMELY, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN AND CHILD MOLESTATION HAD BECOME RAMPANT, THE CHIEF IMAM, GBADAMOSI CENTRAL MOSQUE, ALHAJI JAMIU IMOYOMI AND PASTOR STEPHEN ADEYEFA OF THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD, ONDO PROVICE SAID CHILDREN DESERVED THE BEST FOR A BETTER SOCIETY
THE CLERICS HOWEVER CAUTIONED CHILDREN AGAINST EVERY CONDUCT THAT COULD RUIN THEIR FUTURE AND DRAG AFRICAN CONTINENT BACKWARD.