Female Students Visit Gov Ugwuanyi To Highlight Importance Of Children’s Rights

Representatives of female students of secondary schools drawn across the three senatorial districts of Enugu State, Monday, commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his commitment to promoting the wellbeing of the girl-child.

The students made the commendation when the Ugo’s Touch of Life Foundation (U-TOLF), a pet project of the governor’s wife, led them to pay an advocacy visit to Gov Ugwuanyi in commemoration of this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child.

The students said the governor’s signing of the Child Rights and Responsibility Act into law and further domestication of the law in the state through the establishment of family courts and a rehabilitation home for vulnerable women was a pointer that he was after the welfare of children in the state.

According to them, “The law protects children from all forms of violence and abuse. Children in Enugu State are empowered to seek justice when their rights are infringed upon. For this, we are immensely grateful.”

While thanking him for his timely intervention in the case of the 10-year-old-girl child, Nneoma Nnadi, who was physically abused by her guardians, the students said, “Not only did Gov Ugwuanyi direct that she receive the best medical attention by taking charge of her hospital bills, he also offered full scholarship for the child. This demonstrates his zero tolerance to gender based violence. On behalf of the child and every child in the state, we say thank you.”

They also commended the governor for acceding to their request for the creation of recreation centres in the state, adding that, “Noticeably in the centre of the metropolis is the Unity Park. We are confident that this development will be highly beneficial to Enugu residents both young and old and also attract more tourists into the state.”

Gov Ugwuanyi, in a speech, reiterated his administration’s commitment to changing the narratives in girl-child protection, education, opportunities and empowerment in the state, adding that it would partner U-TOLF for the benefit of the girl-child and women in keeping with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

According to him, his administration had been in the vanguard of the global agenda through the passage of the Child Rights Law in 2016; establishment of six family courts across the three senatorial districts of the state; provision of free medical, legal and counseling services for victims of rape, especially women and girls at Tamar SARC centre; consequential increase in girl-child school enrollment, and rescue and rehabilitation of over 1000 young girls who were victims of unwanted pregnancy, among others.