Health Interactive with Dr Aminu Magashi Sexuality
Education and Child Rights Act
Weekly
Trust of June 28th – It
was aimed at providing information to the teeming children and youths,
regarding issues of sexuality, to empower them to make an informed
choice, understand themselves better, and to take appropriate decision. In
Weekly Trust of 13th – 19th November, 2004, there was almost a similar
exhibition of emotion, this time around, not on Sexuality Curriculum,
but the Child Rights Act which was passed by the Federal House of
Representative into law, and it is expected that the Nigerian populace
should adhere to such act. The leading supporter and International
Development Partner on the act, is none other than the United Nations
Children Fund, with other support from counterpart government agencies ,
local NGOs and other children activists. The bill was submitted last
year to the House of Representative, but was squashed by the members on
the floor, due to certain grey areas which border on points of religion
and culture. The sponsors went back home and fine tuned the bill, and
did a lot of lobbying, and this year, it was resubmitted again to the
House. It was debated and later on passed into law as the Child
RightsAct. The
people that raised objection and condemned the Child Rights Act, more or
less happened to be in the same group and understanding, with those that
rejected the sexuality curriculum two years back. While the promoters of
the curriculum and the Child Right Act, worked tirelessly to make sure
they are implemented, the rejectionists, antagonists, and those that
perpetually condemn such issues, are more or less sleeping, beyond the
ritual of granting interviews, putting up advertorials and comments.
There is still not any coherent effort to checkmate the implementation
of the curriculum and the child rights act, or to bring a replacement
that respects culture and religion, so that our children and youth will
have succour in this country. I
want to believe that although the curriculum is not being implemented
all over the country, many states are implementing it, likewise the
Child Rights Act. Despite the need to inform our youth on issues
affecting their sexuality , those condemning the work of others, are yet
to provide workable solutions to the numerous problems attributed to
sexuality, and could not realise that the youth are daily being
bombarded about sexuality through the pages of magazines, pornographic
websites , western films , to mention a few . In fact, the more they
condemn without providing an alternative, the more the youth become more
anxious and zealous to find out what is it being condemned. Everybody
knows that , in When
one looks at the plight of the Nigerian child , one is in a dilemma, and
bewildered as to what is wrong with the people responsible for
protecting children. Is it the parents, teachers, the religious leaders
or the policy makers . The under five mortality rate is on the increase
every year. A lot of preventable diseases are ravaging our society on a
daily basis. Our paediatric hospitals are devoid of emergency drugs,
facilities and equipment capable of reversing the complications of
malaria, immunisable killer diseases, to mention but a few. Malnutrition
is a common discovery among children everywhere, and not the exception.
Children are begging all over the country and this poses a lot of
dangers to health, economic and social co-existence. They are being
daily exploited sexually , abused and maltreated by relatives and
neighbours , while some are being trafficked out side the country , all
due to greed and avarice by the older age groups. With
all these numerous problems , one can say that , teaching sexuality
education and implementing the Child Rights Act will be a welcome
development, but nevertheless , I have reason in the past on these pages
to condemn some portion of the curricula, and equally the Child Rights
Act. I am in support of such moves when they are made in a way
that everybody is carried along, from
designing, drafting and implementation. In this way, it will be
in conformity with the norms and values of our society. I equally expect
the promoters to have conducted a very wide range of geo- political
consultations, and advocacy, to ensure contribution from all
stakeholders. In
conclusion, I firmly believe that Re
:The Visit of British Secretary for Development to
I
read with interest the Article about the Visit of the
British Secretary for Development
to misrepresentation. Very
best wishes. Adamu
Garba Director Diamond
Development Initiatives 16C,
Kano,
Nigeria Tel:
234-64-638148 Fax:
234-64-638602 E-mail:
agarba@ddinigeria.org Website: http://www.ddinigeria.org |