By joshua 
PIBCID, NWTF Trains 200 Secondary School Students On Child Right Law in Kogi.
By Abu Michael
PIBCID Executive Director.
The Participation Initiative for Behavioral Change in Development (PIBCID) in collaboration with Nigerian Women Trust Fund has trained 200 Secondary School Students in Kogi State on the Child Rights Law.
Resource Person.
The advocacy to sensitize the students was taken to five secondary schools in Lokoja, sensitizing the students towards understanding the effective implementation of the child right law.
Cross section of students.
Amongst Schools visited was Crowther Memorial, Bishop Delisle, Government Science Secondary School amongst others with messaging that will enable the students know their right in accordance to the law.
In her remarks to Newsmen at Crowther Memorial College, the Executive Director of PIBCID, Remilekun Rachael Akande, said that the capacity building training on child right law for the secondary schools in the State with the theme “accelerate action: for child development targets keeping the Students to understand what the Child Rights law entails.
This she disclosed will better equip them to speak out and who to speak to when their rights is infringed upon.
She added that it will enhance the productivity of the students in the society, lamented that the rate of infringement amongst students, is becoming alarming, reason why the concept to teach them to understand their rights at early stage has become necessary.
“The training she added is to reveal vital information needed by the students in secondary schools about the Child right law in Kogi State. Furthermore, she added that it will enable them have knowledge and the awareness about what the Child Right law entails towards ensuring that their rights is not infringed by people meant to care for them.
“The training will let them know who to report to. The needed justice platform available when their rights is trampled upon. We are instilling in them the culture of speaking out and to shun the habits of silence when their rights is abused”.
” The number of issues of early Child marriage, Gender Based Violence, is becoming on the increase across the Country and Kogi State has also had its own fair share, making the training one that must not be ignored”.
” We have seen children face assault, molestation and Gender Based Violence in their schools, at home and the society at last but chose to remain silent. This training will make them to be better informed, prevent their rights from being abused in Kogi State with the view to curbing gender based violence”.
The PIBCID Executive Director expressed happiness with the outcome thus far the training has recorded, pointing out that the information available to the students will trickle down to their peers, in the Schools, at home and in the community to be always at alert and speaking out when the see warning signs.
Making a presentation at Crowther Memorial College, Lokoja, Dcn. Abaniwo Nathaniel, Executive Director, RECAN/Child Rights Advocate, described the Child right law domesticated in the State as tool that can help reduce abuse if students are skilled in knowing what to do in challenged situation.
He described the Child Right law as a very vital information when understood as a roadmap to staying safe and protected for the growth and development of young people.
“ The rights of every Child, their duties and responsibilities of parents or guardian and where to get remedy is encompassed in the law. Every Child, Parents and Caregivers need to look at the law from the angle of staying safe in the present circumstances people live in, pointing out that the Child right law, when fully operational will guarantee a safe society” he stressed.
The participants at the training which includes, Teachers and students lauded PIBCID and Nigerian Women Trust Fund for the initiative geared towards protecting the right of Children in in the State, pointing out that it is coming at a better time.
The Students who participated in the training in their separate remarks promised to utilize the knowledge gained on the Child right law in Kogi State with the view to staying protected.
Similarly, the Teachers teachers described the training as an eye opener, pointing out that the information and knowledge gained will go a long way in providing succour for the Students towards having a brighter future.