Reps Urge FCT, States to Implement UBEC, Child’s Right Acts

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the UBEC Act and the Child Rights Act in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The lawmakers also urged UBEC to liaise with state governments who have adopted the Child Rights Act and the UBEC Act for enforcement of the provisions of the law.
The resolutions of lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Bamidele Salam at plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Salam made reference to the report by the Federal Ministry of Education, in 2021,  which stated that an estimated number of out-of- school children in Nigeria was about 10.1 million, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) put the number at 13.2 million.

He said the figure appears to be on the increase as the Ministry of Education has stated that there has been a more than 3 million increase in the figure from 2020.
He expressed concerns about the report from UNICEF that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in Sub Saharan Africa and the highest in the world.

Salam said the House was aware that Section 18 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that the Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.

He said the House was also aware that Section 15 of the Child Rights Act provides that every child has the right to free, compulsory and universal basic education and it shall be the duty of the government in Nigeria to provide such education.

He expressed worry that the number of out of school children in the country was on a rapid increase and no arrest of defaulting parents or guardians were being made.

The lawmaker said, “Further aware that Section 15 of the Child Rights Act also provides that every parent or guardian shall ensure that his child or ward attends and completes his primary and junior secondary school education, and any parent who fails in this duty commits an offence and is liable‐ on a first conviction to be reprimanded and ordered to undertake community service. on second conviction to a fine of two thousand naira or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to both such fine and imprisonment.

“And on any subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding N5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

“Recall that 27 out of the 36 states in Nigeria have adopted and domesticated the Child Rights Act. Also concerned that the neglect of children puts their future and the future of Nigeria in jeopardy, as they are exposed to getting recruited into kidnapping and robbery gangs, drugs and other crimes.”

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committees on the Federal Capital Territory and Basic Education and Services to ensure compliance.

Also at plenary, the lawmakers while adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Shina Peller, urged the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to resuscitate and ensure full functionality and utilisation of the Ikere- Gorge Dam in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State.