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Paediatricians, under the aegis of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, have expressed displeasure over the arraignment of 32 minors, before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests in August.
The child health experts emphasised the urgent need for the implementation of the Child Rights Act, which seeks to protect the dignity and rights of every child in Nigeria.
PUNCH had earlier reported that around 75 young protesters including 32 minors were brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Nigeria Police Force for arraignment last Friday, with some fainting before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
The children, aged 12 to 15, were charged with 10 counts, including terrorism, an attempt to overthrow the government and alleged mutiny about their participation in the nationwide protest.
Justice Egwuatu granted bail to 67 of the 76 minors arraigned, set at N10 million each.
Reacting, PAN president, Prof. Ekanem Ekure and Secretary, Dr. Chika Duru, in a joint statement exclusively obtained by PUNCH Healthwise, noted that the sight of the malnourished children among those being arraigned indicated the extent of the humanitarian crisis facing Nigerian youth.
The PAN president lamented that the survival of a Nigerian child had become increasingly threatened by the current state of the economy and the multi-faceted social implications.
While emphasising that the physical state of these children was a reminder of the country’s failing system, Ekure called for immediate government action to uphold the provisions of the Child Rights Act.
With an alarming one in three Nigerian children reportedly out of school, she warned that this population poses a future risk to national stability.
Ekure, a Professor of Paediatric Cardiology, College Of Medicine, University of Lagos, pointed out that the ongoing economic challenges, marked by rising food insecurity and poverty have severely impacted children’s nutrition and overall well-being, reversing previous gains in childhood survival.
“PAN is concerned that the national economy in Nigeria in the last couple of months has been severely challenged. The steady decline in the value of the local currency and the rising cost of living have led to significant dwindling of the financial strength of many families. Children, who ordinarily should receive preferential attention under such situations, are, unfortunately, the worst hit.
“The implication of these developments is a likely reversal of the gains previously made with respect to childhood survival over the years, with a huge threat to the achievement of SDG 3. The average Nigerian family is confronted with the challenges of low standard of living and food insecurity.”
“At the moment, the Nigerian child is evidently battling with poor nutrition as 38 per cent of children in the under-five group are stunted, 18 per cent are wasted and 22 per cent are underweight compared to the global prevalence rates of 25 per cent, 8 per cent and 15 respectively. Against the backdrop of the current economic challenges in the country, we may expect in the months ahead, worsening situations of childhood malnutrition,” the PAN president said.
The consultant paediatrician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, noted that the Child Rights Act, which had been domesticated by all states, was designed to guarantee essential rights such as access to education, adequate nutrition, and freedom from detention.
The don, however, said the non-implementation of these rights had left many children vulnerable to exploitation, abduction, and neglect.
She urged the government to intensify its commitment to enforcing the Child Rights Act and to address the socio-cultural factors contributing to the out-of-school crisis.
PUNCH Healthwise reports that the Act was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 and signed into law in Nigeria as the Children’s Rights Act of 2003.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, regarded as the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, confers on every child the rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
It also offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community.
The law has 278 sections and covers a range of topics, including but not limited to, the right to health services, the prohibition of child marriage, and the role of the state government in protecting the rights laid out in the act.
Speaking further on the act, the PAN president lamented that despite all the states domesticating the act, the implementation had not been firmed.
She further expressed worry that the social vulnerability of the Nigerian child was on the increase due to the Child Rights Act’s current poor implementation at all levels.’
The professor also called on security agencies to take decisive action against violations of children’s rights, adding that parents need to be more vigilant in safeguarding their children from harm.
“The Child Rights Act seeks to give the Nigerian child the right to dignity, family life, good nutrition, play and recreation, health and health service, education, freedom of movement, parental care and protection, among others.
“Unfortunately, many children are currently in situations of captivity across the land, as victims of kidnapping and abduction, as well as unjustifiable detentions. Keeping a child against his will is a violation of his rights to dignity and freedom of movement.
“The various security agencies in the country need to be put to task concerning the need to protect the Nigerian child from harm and violation of his basic rights. If a child must be held as prescribed by the law, it must be done in ways that will guarantee dignity, or else the government will be violating its own laws. Such a child must have access to good nutrition, good health and health services, education and play and recreation as recommended by the law.
“PAN as the voice of the Nigerian child wishes to request the federal government to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Child Rights Act by its own agents and as a way of driving the implementation of the laws at the state levels,” she noted.
The association also proposed a multi-faceted approach to strengthen agricultural initiatives to combat food insecurity and reduce the alarming number of out-of-school children.
“PAN notes the obvious pitiful physical state of the children among the group that was recently arraigned in a Federal Court in Abuja. The Nigerian child must be protected against every form of deprivation and molestation for a rewarding and fulfilling future.
“There must be mechanisms for ensuring thorough implementation of the Child Rights Act at all levels.
“Government must double up on the efforts to improve agricultural activities and boost food security at the homestead.
“For better human development and nation’s growth, efforts must be significantly increased at reducing the out-of-school population of children across the country,” Ekure concluded.
The nationwide protest against economic hardship and poor governance happened from August 1 to 10, with demonstrators calling for reduced governance costs, the reinstatement of petrol subsidy, food security, and greater fiscal discipline.
The protest turned violent in some states, leading to incidents of looting and vandalism.
The 76 suspects, including the 32 minors, arraigned before the Abuja Federal High Court for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests were said to have been in detention for three months, were arrested in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja); as well as Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano states.
They were arraigned by the Inspector General of Police on 10 counts bordering on treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria and inciting to mutiny by calling on the military to take over the government from President Bola Tinubu, among others.
The minors, who looked unkempt and malnourished, were seen scrambling for water and biscuits in video clips that went viral on social media on Friday.
As proceedings commenced, the visibly unwell children were called to the dock to enter their pleas.
But in a sudden turn of events, four of the children suddenly collapsed and were rushed out of the courtroom, forcing the presiding judge to suspend the session until order was restored.
The minors wriggled in pain and made a screeching sound on the floor as both lawyers and prison officials hurriedly carried them up, holding their hands and legs. They were then taken out of the courtroom, as they couldn’t stand on their feet.
