Our Reporter.
The Abuja based FORUM FOR CHILD RIGHTS PROMOTION (FORCHI) has expressed shock that the first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Hajiya Aisha Buhari has remained silent in the face of the sustained terror attacks targeting school children in Zamfara, Katsina and Niger States by armed Fulani militia.
The Rights group said the Wife of the President is needed at this material time to speak up for the respect and protection of the human rights of school children particularly as she is the MOTHER OF THE NATION.
The group; FORCHI is of the opinion that the wives of the political office holders in the Country have frontline roles to play to ensure that their spouses who control the different layers of political powers are encouraged, motivated and challenged to adopt every practical methodology to get the security forces all across the Country to act decisively to provide efficient security of students.
“FORUM FOR CHILD RIGHTS PROMOTION (FORCHI) is by this statement publicly urging Mrs. Aisha Buhari to bring together the wives of the governors of all the 36 states and the Nation’s capital of Abuja and wives of Federal and State legislators to put pressures on their spouses to adopt law based anti-terror mechanisms to implement sustainable, durable and result oriented initiatives to keep students safe from all terror attacks”.
Mrs. Stacey Ukaobasi Onwuegbuchulam; the National leader of the FORUM FOR CHILD RIGHTS PROMOTION (FORCHI) who endorsed the media release further reiterated that the imperative of securing the territorial integrity of the Nigerian school system is no longer in doubt, also expressed fear that should the violence targeting schools be allowed to continue, the constitutional mandate obliging the Nigerian State in section 18 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution to direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels, will be undermined.
Specifically, section 18(2) says: “Government shall promote science and technology; 18 (3) Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy, and to this end government shall provide free and quality education”. The Rights group said the different levels of government must demonstrate an elevated level if commitments towards actualizing these constitutional objectives in such a way that the safety of the Students are guaranteed.
“Importantly, THE FORUM FOR CHILD RIGHTS PROMOTION believes that allowing terror attacks in schools amounts to abandonment by government of the fundamental objective for which the public office holders were elected which is to protect lives and property of the citizenry (section 14 (2) (b).
The group is therefore asking the United Nations to wade in and ensure that the Nigerian government protects students and punish terrorists.
