The Director Child Welfare, Department of Girlchild Education and Child Development in Katsina State, Yuhannatu Abdullahi has decried the high rate of sexual assault on the girl-child in the State.
Yuhannatu Abdullahi disclosed this while speaking to DAILY POST at an event organized by Save the Children International to commemorate this year’s Africans Child Day.
The event which held at the Banquet Hall of the Old Government House, Katsina State had many children from several schools in the state in attendance.
Yuhannatu said the most prevalent challenge facing the African Child in Katsina State is primarily the sexual abuse of the girl-child.
“The primary challenge has to do with the girl-child. They are facing a lot of sexual assault from individuals, family members, and people in their neighbourhood in both Katsina metropolis and the rural areas,” Yuhannatu said.
However, she said the Child’s Right Bill recently passed into law in Katsina State is expected to bring about a turnaround in the abuse of the girl-child.
“We are lucky now that the Child’s Right Bill has been passed. I think this will go a long way to help address this issue,” She added.
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Similarly, the Speaker of the Katsina State Children’s Parliament, Rt. Honourable Ibrahim Maharaz, while speaking with DAILY POST at the event said the challenges facing the African child in the state is not limited to sexual abuse but also gender-base violence, negligence, exploitations as well as the prevailing insecurity situation in the state.
He stated that the theme of this year’s Africans Child Day was “30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerate implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children.”
The Speaker said the Children’s Parliament under his watch since 2019 has been watching, listening and linking identified problems against children in the state to the appropriate authority for onward action to enable the African Child attain the above stated goal.
“Well as the Speaker of the Katsina Children Parliament, and by the powers conferred on me by the Children’s Constitution, I have been looking, listening and linking my fellow children’s problems to the appropriate institutions charged constitutionally to proffer solutions to such challenges.” Speaker Maharaz said.
Speaker Maharaz, equally, seized the opportunity to express some of the concerns of the African Child in the state. He appealed to Governor Aminu Bello Masari who was represented at the occasion by his Special Adviser on Higher Education Matters, Bashir Muhammad Ruwangwodiya on three key sectors affecting children in the state, namely: the need to provide quality education, well qualified teachers, provision of quality water and the provision of good health care services.
Reacting to the concerns raised by the children representatives, Ruwongwodiya said the Aminu Masari-led government has done a lot so far.
He reiterated the state government resolves to do more to ensure that all the demands put forward by the children are met.
Murjanatu Kabir, the Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator for Save the Children International in the State, thanked the children for turning out en masse to celebrate the Day of the African Child.
She equally expressed gratitude to all those who supported the event.
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