Lagos State Government has called on school pupils in the State to ensure they know their rights and be ready to defend them when they are infringed upon.
The Director of the Directorate for Citizens Rights, Ms. Adetutu Oshinusi stated this during a sensitisation programme organised by the Office for students of the Ijegun Community Primary School over the weekend.
She said the campaign is in furtherance of the One-Stop Child Justice Centre, an initiative of the State Ministry of Justice, through the Directorate, aimed at reducing the spate of child abuse in Lagos while ensuring that minors are protected from abuse and abusers
The Director emphasised that there is a solid framework for the fundamental human rights of young pupils and they have enough protection against all forms of abuses in the Nigerian Constitution.
Oshinusi said, “The Directorate for Citizens’ Rights is responsible for protecting and enforcing fundamental human rights of residents of Lagos State. One of its units under the Directorate is One-Stop Child Justice Centre, which handles all child-related matters in collaboration with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government like the Ministries of Education, and Youth and Social Development, among others”.
“In Lagos State, the Department of Citizens Rights will continue to protect the rights of children as provided under the Child Rights Law of Lagos State, 2015 and we want to encourage you to report cases of abuse whether it happened to you or someone you know”, she added.
The Director further reiterated that the sensitisation programme is about bringing awareness to the pupils to know what their rights are and the privilege would also be extended to other schools.
Mrs. Abosede Kowe, the Head Teacher of the Community Primary School II, Ijegun, commended the Lagos State Government for bringing such an initiative to the schools, promising to continue enlightening the pupils more about their rights.
