ZAMFARA CHILD PROTECTION BILL READY FOR COUNCIL’S APPROVAL— SCI
The Zamfara State Child Protection Bill is ready for the State Executives Council’s Approval, the State Field Manager, Save the Children International (SCI), Mr Murtala Bello, said.
Bello stated this on Tuesday in Gusau at the sensitisation meeting on the bill for Media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state organised by REACH Project of the SCI.
Reaching and Empowering Adolescents to make Choices for their Health in Nigeria (REACH) project is funded by the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by the SCI.
The project is implemented by SCI in Zamfara and some states in north.
Bello said the process for the domestication of the bill started in the state since 2009 by the SCI in collaboration with stakeholders.
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“After undergoing necessary reviews by stakeholders especially the Council of Ulama and lawmakers sponsored by SCI and UNICEFf, the bill is now fully domesticated inline with religious, norms and culture of the state.
“The final draft copy of the bill is waiting for the state council’s approval before proceeding to state house of assembly for legislation,’’he said.
He called on the media to contribute their quota in advocating to policy makers and relevant stakeholders to ensure speedy passage of the bill.
Earlier, the Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator of Reach project, Zainab Inyako, noted that the meeting was intimate journalists and CSOs about the bill.
Inyako noted that the bill if passed in to law would address various violence and abuse against children, “therefore, the stage of the bill now requires effective media support.’’
“Our expectations from the participants of this meeting to embark on advocacy to contribute in the successful passage of the bill,’’ she said.
In his remark, the Chairman Zamfara Media and Publicity Consultant, Malam Nasiru Biyabiki, assured continued support from the media to ensure successful and speedy passage of the bill.
Various facilitators from MDAs, CSOs and media houses deliberated at the meeting.
