Admin l Wednesday, November 15, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society (NASFAT) a Nigerian Muslim prayer group has condemned attacks and abuse of children and minor calling on parents in Nigeria to take proper care of their children and ward and avoid dehumanizing them.
The group said parents and guardians have no right to abuse and injure their children in the name of inculcating discipline on them, warning that the actions that amount to physically manhandling a child or minor will no longer be accepted.
An official of NASFAT Alhaja Morufat George, who led a team of NASFAT officials to the Lagos Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ) said the organization has launched an advocacy programme in partnership with the United Nations Children and Educational Fund (UNICEF) to sensitise Nigerians on this ills against children and see how it can be checked.
Alhaja George said the programme is launched under sub theme END VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN (ENDVAC) will involve road shows and other forms of campaign to sensitise the public about this violence against children and fashion out strategies to end it.
She said that NASFAT kicks against violence on children and minors, hence the decision to partner with UNICEF on this and especially in line with the fact that Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari frowns against this despicable act against children.
She recalled that the National Population Commission (NPC) had in 2015 carried out a survey which indicates that one in every child, particularly female had suffered one type of abuse or the other.
While lamenting that these abuse is often times carried out by relatives of these children and those close to them, Mrs. George called on parents to be careful who they are leaving their children with and always do a check to ascertain they are not being abused.
The NASFAT said it visited the NUJ Lagos Council to seek partnership with journalists in Lagos to fight these ills, adding that both organization must fashion out strategies to eradicate violence against children. The group said it was also seeking support from veritable stake holders to put an end to violence against children in Nigeria.
Responding, the Chairman of the NUJ, Lagos Council Dr Qasim Akinreti said the partnership is commendable especially with the type collaboration UNICEF is seeking.He said the Nigerian media, particularly Lagos journalists, had been in the forefront of advocacy on violence against children.
He commended UNICEF for working with NASFAT especially in realization that religious focal groups are considered perfect in this advocacy programme.
The group visited the NUJ with other officials, including the Publicity Secretary Banji Busari, National Financial Secretary Alhaji Maroof Ajiroba, Mariam Kareem, Aishat Usman and Fadilat Raji
