The Katsina State House of Assembly has on Wednesday passed the Child Protection Bill which has been pending since 2003.
Sponsored by the State House of Assembly Special Committee on Child Protection Bill 2020, the executive bill was forwarded to the house by the executive governor of the state, Aminu Masari on March 3.
After intensive deliberations on the bill, a seven-member special committee was set up to study the bill and submit its report to the house.
The bill seeks to provide adequate care and protection of the children especially in the areas of providing basic education, protection against sexual harassment by the teachers in schools, adequate care for the less privileged, reduce the menace of drug abuse, underaged marriage, same-sex marriage, and other social vices rocking the society.
Similarly, the bill also provides enough avenues for the children to be safeguarded in order to have a just and equitable environment.
The Chairman of the committee and member representing Kaita Constituency, Honourable Musa Nuhu Gafia told Channels Television that all misconceptions attached to the bill have been taken care of as the committee had hitherto engaged in wider consultations with the religious, traditional and community leaders, Law experts, NGOs among others.
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He observed that the passage of the bill will portend a better future for children especially of the less privileged citizens in the state.
This comes a year after the Children’s Parliament in Katsina appealed to the state government to assent into law, the Child Protection Bill in order to tackle issues of child abuse, rape and other related vices against children in the state.
The forum also pleaded the state government to take proactive measures in respect of the rising rape cases in the state and insecurity in some parts of the state so that Children can peacefully live, grow and achieve their full potentials.
