Nigeria: Lawmakers, NGO Collaborate On Maternal Welfare

Abia State House of Assembly has entered into collaboration with the Child Rights Network (CHRIN), a Non-governmental Organization (NGO), with bias for children, for the purpose of enacting a law to extend maternity leave from three to six months.

The initiative to double the period working nursing mothers stay at home to take care of their new born babies was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an advocacy meeting between the state legislature and the NGO, noting that the initiative was aimed at promoting child survival in the state.

It stressed the importance of breastfeeding for the survival of babies, adding that it would also place the state in a better stead to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Program Manager of CHRIN, Ben Ezinma said the six months exclusive breast feeding recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) would be effectively implemented with legislation, adding that working mothers find it hard keeping faith with the recommendation thereby jeopardizing child survival against deadly diseases.

According to him, no sacrifice was too much to save the babies hence the extension of maternity leave was a sure way of encouraging exclusive breast feeding and reducing child mortality.

Chairman of the state House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Orji Lekwauwa, promised to support the extension of maternity leave, saying that the House will take any step that will reduce infant mortality in the state.

Lekwauwa, who frowned at the embarrassing rate of child trafficking and sales of babies in the state, described the development as a problem of the present society.

He promised that relevant committees would be equipped to see to the implementation of the Child Rights Law already passed by the House.

The advocacy meeting also stressed the need for the state government to set up a model remand and destitute home which will be a standard for those being operated by private individuals in the state.

The meeting also noted that the N20,000 allocation being given to the Remand and Destitute Home, Aba monthly was not enough to keep the environment clean let alone feed the 12 inmates, take care of their health needs, water supply, electricity, among other needs.

allAfrica.com