The House of Representatives will continue to work towards
building a society that will be conducive for the overall growth and
development of the Nigerian child, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon
Yakubu Dogara has said.
In a press statement signed by his special adviser on Media
and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, to mark the 2017 Children’s Day, the
Speaker maintained that issues concerning the welfare of children, especially
those of the poor and vulnerable in the society, were top priority to the
legislature.
Dogara stated that it was in line with this that the House
supports free basic education for all Nigerian children, as it has the
potential to unlock their ties to poverty and open a new vista of opportunities
to them to generate prosperity for themselves, their families, the society and
the nation at large.
“For a society to develop, the young children must be given
an avenue to express themselves and explore their potentials to the fullest.
“The most veritable, most effective tool for this is
education. Education is the key to breaking the chains of poverty and opening
opportunities to prosperity in all spheres of human endeavour,” the Speaker
noted.
While expressing joy that more of the Chibok school girls
had regained freedom and will be spending this Children’s Day with their
families, he assured that the National Assembly will continue to render full
support to the executive in the efforts to secure the release of the other
girls who are still in captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists.
Dogara also expressed confidence that children who are
internally displaced in the country, will soon return to their homes to live
proper lives as the government is not resting on its oars in ensuring that they
reunite with their fami lies before long.
The Speaker urged states, which were yet to domesticate the
Child Rights Act to do so in order to halt the spate of unwarranted crimes
against children, as well as uphold their rights.
By Yemi Itodo
