Lagos State Government has charged children parliamentarians on prevention and response strategies to check violence against children in the state.
Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Adenrenle Ogunsanya gave the charge on Tuesday during a two-day training for members of the 6th Lagos State Children’s Parliament.
The training was organised by Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), a British Council and European Union project in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development.
Ogunsanya said that one of the key roles as youth parliamentarians was to change the narratives by ensuring that the scourge of violence against children was reduced to a barest minimum.
According to him, the training will equip them on steps to take in protecting themselves and other children on what steps to take so as not to fall victims.
“I wish to encourage you to make good use of this opportunity for your personal development and use it for the benefit of all children in Lagos State.
“Think outside the box and come up with innovations that will engender robust debate on the floor of your Assembly and generate quality legislation that will transform the lives of children in the state.
“As the lead agency saddled with the responsibility of creating an enabling environment for the total development of youth and children in the state, we remain committed to your wellbeing and total development in this regard,” he said.
Ogunsanya commended RoLAC for the training, stressing that the organization had been a good developmental partner in Lagos State.
The Programme Officer of RoLAC in Lagos State, Mrs Ajibola Ajimakinwa, said that the training would enable the children parliamentarians to play their roles effectively; including being able to participate actively in discussions on issues that concern them.
She said her organisation was providing technical support to the Ministry of Youths and Social development to build the capacity of the principal officers of the 6th Lagos State Children’s Parliament.
“This support will strengthen the Children’s capacity for effective advocacy and will enable them to represent the voices of other children in Lagos State on issues that are relevant to their lives in line with the provisions of the Child Rights Law,” she said.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Miss Sherifat Umaru, said as future leaders, they must do everything possible to contribute to the development of Nigeria.
The 15-year-old Senior Secondary school (SS3) student parliamentarian called on Nigerian youths to be good ambassadors, urging them to always represent their families and nation well. (NAN)
