Yakubu Busari
The Secretary General, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) Dr Khalid Aliyu has called on leaders from the Northern states with absolute commitment and energy to take action to ensure that all children in Nigeria can grow up free from violence
UNICEF appealed to JNI leadership to exercise its great influence by mobilizing its members, policy makers, traditional leaders, community leaders’ parents and those who look after children all stakeholders and member of the public to join in the campaign to end against children.
Dr Khalid Aliyu said, we the prophet progeny warn parents that don’t eat from charity, can you see the methodology no beating, no harassment but gentle explanation and this gives a child a sense of honour and pride as he /she grows.
Dr Aliyu stated this at the central Mosque in conjunction with JNI campaign, UN, USAID to ending violence against children.
He said, Allah bestows on them certain responsibilities being a parent can be exciting as well as challenging as the case may be, feeding it is the duty of parent to feed the child which confirm the various instances and is encouraged in Islam.
Dr Khalid emphasized the honour and tenderness, children are integral part of family as well as the community for them to have that sense of belonging and social inclusion, they should be honoured and be treated with leniency, and to show the important of child.
He explained, to prevent any form of violence against children, Islam sanctions right and privileges to be accorded them, these rights are sacrosanct as far as the religion of Islam is concerned, any violation to any right is denigration to the child and has to be redressed where possible.
Dr Aliyu said right to comprehensive breastfeeding for healthy growth and mental as well as physical development, a child is entitled to 2 years and right to education training.
According to him ,we should ensure violence free upbringing Islam emphasize that it’s the right of the child to be tended by his parents until he is old enough to take care of himself/herself .
The office of UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi field office ,Mr. Drissa Yeo represented by Ladi Alabi said survey indicated a high prevalence of sexual, physical and emotional violence against children in Nigeria 6 in every 10 children will suffer one or more forms of violence physical sexual and emotional before they reach the age of 18 years with over 70% suffering again and again .
Yeo stressed that their experience and even fewer seek or receive services or justice less than 5% ever receive the help that they need recover most children suffer in silence.
He called upon all States in Nigeria to launch their own campaign on ending violence against children which Lagos became the first state to heed this ,stressing that achieving this target is not only critical for the development of children.
As a religious organization with many members ,JNI in working to prevent and response to violence against children can reference the convention on the right of the child as a framework for ensuring that children human rights are protected and enshrined within JNI legal and normative .
JNI can promote awareness campaign raising and education to enable children and adult become more conversant with the concept of children right and can translated into ideal convention, he added.
