…says 10.1 million Nigerian children out of school
GIFT ROBERTS
Peoples Democratic Party has called on President Mohammad Buhari to stop mortgaging the future of Nigerian children.
The party stated this in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, as the opposition party felicitated with Nigerian children as they join children from the rest of the world to celebrate Children’s Day.
The party said that under President Buhari and the APC led government, about 10.1 million Nigerian children are reportedly out of school, which is the highest in the sub-Sahara region.
The statement read: “The Peoples Democratic Party greets the Nigerian Children as they join other children across the world to celebrate this year’s International Children’s Day.
“The party however laments that in Nigeria, this day of the celebration has become a sad epitaph of the harsh conditions which the Nigerian children have been subjected to in the last six years under President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress APC.
“The PDP bemoans that under the APC, the Nigerian children have suffered the worst form of neglect, denied the basic necessities of life, with millions of them rendered homeless and orphaned, without access to education, healthcare, and appropriate elements of a happy and productive childhood.
“Under President Buhari and the APC, about 10.1 million Nigerian children are reportedly out of school, the highest in sub-Sahara region. This is in addition to over 19 million children languishing in Internally Displaced Person IDP camps in various parts of our country, with many more killed or orphaned by terrorists under APC’s watch.
“Under President Buhari, violence against children, child trafficking and other acts that infringe on the rights of the child have escalated to a frightening proportion.
“Moreover, the Buhari-led APC administration has continued to mortgage the future of the Nigerian children with its humongous corruption and reckless foreign borrowings, which is putting a huge yoke on the feeble shoulders of our innocent children.
“Our party urges President Buhari to end his administration’s insensitivity to the children by deploying special incentives to boost access to education, healthcare as well as guarantee the security and safety of children especially in crisis areas.
“President Buhari must take steps to end the insecurity in the country so that the children in IDP camps and crisis-ridden areas can return to their normal lives.”
The PDP also urged the National Assembly as well as state legislative houses to strengthen all child rights and protection legislations and ensure effective implementation in the interest of the children.
“As a party, the PDP believes in the Nigerian child and calls on well-meaning and public-spirited Nigerians to use the day to reach out and intervene in the myriads of challenges facing Nigerian children,” it said.
The party equally called on Nigerians to remain undeterred but continue to rally for the children and remain steadfast in the collective effort to rescue the nation from the misrule of the APC.
“Our party salutes the Nigerian children and wishes them happy celebrations,” PDP said.