Katsina to present draft bill on child protection to State Assembly

Aminu Masari

Aminu Masari, Katsina State governor

 

Aminu Masari, Katsina State governor

The Katsina State Government has drafted a bill on child protection law that would soon be presented to the state House of Assembly for passage into Law.

The Commissioner of Women’s Affairs, Dr Badiyya Hassan-Mashi, disclosed this at a Sensitisation Meeting for members of the Katsina State Assembly and the Council of Ulamas, held in Kano on Friday.

She said the Meeting was aimed at enlightening the stakeholders and engaging them in a dialogue on the child protection law before it is presented to the House.

“The objective is to engage in a dialogue on the passage of the child protection law in Katsina State, with a view to drawing lessons from past efforts and securing the support of key stakeholders to the passage of the bill.

“The meeting will also enable stakeholders to reach a concrete agreement on the way forward through joint efforts and to validate the bill for presentation to the executive arm of government for transmission to the state House of Assembly,’’ she said.

Hassan -Mashi said that after the meeting, it is expected that the lawmakers and the Council of Ulamas would be sensitised and their support secured for the immediate passage of the bill into law.

“It is also expected that by the end of the meeting, representations and views of the stakeholders would have been received and harmonised.

READ: National Assembly commended over amendments

In his remarks, the chairman of the Drafting Committee, Retired Justice Abdullahi Sadiq-Mahuta, said the decision by the government to draft the bill was a clear indication that it was seriously concerned about the rampant cases of child abuse in the state.

He expressed the hope that the bill would come up with stiffer penalties for child abusers in the state to serve as a deterrent to would be offenders of the law.

The Speaker, Alhaji Yahaya Kusada, assured that the House would ensure speedy passage of the bill as it would go a long way in checking cases of wanton child abuse in the state.

“As usual, when the bill comes to the House, it will be directed to the House Committee on Justice, Judiciary and Human rights, for deliberation before taking action,” he said.

NAN reports that the sensitization meeting which was sponsored by UNICEF and Save the Child was also attended by experts in Shari’a and representatives of parents, among other stakeholders.

Load more