El-Rufai signs child protection law

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has assented to the Child Welfare and Protection Law sent to him after it was passed by the State House of Assembly.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, told Daily Trust that the governor had directed the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Umma Hikima, to gazette the signed document.

Having signed the document, she said that the governor would launch the law soon at a creche located within the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Governor El-Rufai had in 2016 sent the Child Rights Law (2003) to the state assembly as one of the executive bills. After rigorous scrutiny and submissions from civil society organizations and other stakeholders, the bill was on February 7, 2018 passed into law by the state assembly.

In a swift reaction, the Executive Director, Aid Foundation, Emmanuel Bonet commended both the state assembly and the governor for taking the steps towards the welfare and protection of children in the state.

He said the foundation would organize activities to sensitize the public about the law.

Also, the programme manager of YouthHub Africa, Segun Medupin called on the media, civil society organizations, religious leaders, community based organizations and traditional leaders to educate their people about the law.

The Kaduna state chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Bukola Ajayi, spoke of massive sensitization to address rape and other forms of child molestation as embedded in the new law.