National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Civil Service
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
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L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration Mr. John Chukwu; Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide and Director General, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri during an advocacy visit to FCT Minister of State in Abuja yesterday.
Maina advocates child-friendly education
H
ajiya Zainab Maina, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, has called on all stakeholders to ensure that Nigerian children enjoyed a child-friendly, quality, free and compulsory education. Maina, who was represented by Mrs Helen Oji, a Deputy Director in the Ministry, made the call in Abuja at a show to commemorate the Day of the African Child (DAC), 2014. Her words;``A childfriendly, quality, free and compulsory education for children in Nigeria is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders including government at all levels, development partners, private sector, civil society organisations, parents, traditional and religious leaders. ``It is therefore, on us as rights holders and deputy bearers to re-assess our efforts, our obligations to entrench a child-friendly and quality education that promotes the proper development of children in the society.’’ Maina added that the theme for this year’s celebration: “A Child Friendly, Quality, Free and Compulsory Education for all
Children in Africa” was apt in view of the present security challenges in the country. ``This theme is appropriate judging from the current acts of violence facing the Nigerian child in his bid to access quality education.’’ The minister, however, said in spite of the current challenges facing the Nigerian child, the Federal Government had demonstrated strong commitment geared toward quality education for the Nigerian child. She said Nigeria was a signatory to various international and regional instruments on children such as the UN convention on the Rights of the Child, Millennium Development Goals amongst others. According to her, government is equally refocusing attention on the issues of vulnerable children in the country. ``The Child’s Right Act has been domesticated by over 22 states in Nigeria and over 15 states have established family/juvenile courts that handle issues that bother on the wellbeing of the child.’’ Maina also said that the ministry was collaborating with relevant govern-
ment agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of violence against children were brought to book. She said the Federal Government had introduced free and compulsory universal basic education to increase access to quality education nationwide. ``Girl-child education is accorded priority attention given that education of girl reduces the incidence of early marriage with other attendant benefits.
``Such benefits include reduction in Vesico Vagina Fistula and maternal and new born morbidity and mortality,” Maina said. She, however, said that in spite of all the efforts in promoting the girlchild education across the country it was regrettable there had been some drawbacks. She cited the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls as one of such drawbacks adding that governments were making concerted
efforts to surmount such challenges. ``Notwithstanding this challenge, the President is working assiduously to ensure that the abducted girls are returned safely. ``Security measures are being put in place to ensure adequate protection of children in their schools,’’ she said. The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Habiba Lawal, in her welcome address urged children to be obedient to constituted authorities.
Lawal, who was represented by Mrs Odewumi Odetola, an assistant director in the ministry, also advised the children to study hard so as to become great leaders in the future. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DAC is celebrated annually on June 16 by member states of the African Union. It was set aside to commemorate the 1976 brutality and massacre of children in Soweto by the then apartheid South Africa
Students urged to live in clean environment
S
tudents in Lagos State have been urged to ensure that the environment they live in was always kept clean. Mrs Adetokunbo Agbesanwa, Senior Special Adviser to the Lagos Governor on Schools Environmental Advocacy Programme (SEAP), made the call in Lagos at an annual painting competition among Secondary Schools in Lagos state to mark the World Environment Day. The theme of the celebration was `Small Islands and Climate Change: The Lagos State Experience.’ She said the event was to
recognise the use of art as a means of expression and to help the children of Lagos State to develop their psyche towards good environmental practice. “Due to the growing population, a lot of adults are not conscious of good environmental practices, so it is better to attack the problem from the young ones. “The annual painting competition is to entrench in the minds of the participants the essence of the theme.” Mr Marc-Andre Schmachtel, Director of Goethe Institute Nigeria
– German Culture Center – and one of the judges, called for continuous encouragement of school children to partake in environmental issues. “ It is wise to involve school children in educative issues such as environmental and health programmes. “This will make them to change their daily lives and start early to change the community and its environs.” “The environment is a big topic in a mega city like Lagos. “With more than 1,000 people coming in to stay as
tourists or for business, we must all be involved in protecting our environment”, Schmachtel said. Mr Olayinka Oladunjoye, Commissioner for Education, advised students to cultivate healthy environmental habits. Oladunjoye expressed satisfaction with the turnout of students for the event and commended the organisers for using art to communicate to students on the importance of safeguarding the environment.51 SECONDARY SCHOLS AND 14 primary schools participated in the competition.