Unicef Tasks States on Child Registration

THE United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF), has observed that child registration in its Zone A area of operation, comprising 10 states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and rivers, is very poor.

According to UNICEF, out of the 10 states in this zone, only Anambra and Abia states have made some reasonable impact in child registration.

Calling on the various Governments in the zone to take child registration exercise very serious, UNICEF noted that "any child not registered is an invisible child".

Meanwhile, UNICEF has unfolded its next phase of joint program with the Federal Government in the next four years. According to Mrs. Pelucy Ntambirweki, Head of UNICEF zone A Field Office, who unveiled the FGN/UNICEF Country Program of Cooperation 2009-2012, disclosed that all the Governors in the zone have signed the implementation agreement and hoped that the program would experience no hitches.

The four year program, Mrs Ntambirweki explained, will basically dwell in the areas of health and nutrition; basic education; water, sanitation and hygiene; child protection, advocacy, social policy and communication.

According to her, the program will seek to realize among other things, children's right to survival, right to development, right to protection, and right to participation, as well as seek to eliminate gender disparity.

Meanwhile, the organization has called on the Governments in the zone to hasten up the passage of Child Right Act into law. According to Ntambirweki it has become very necessary for the Child Right Law to come into existence because Nigerian children, and indeed African children are under siege, and they need to be rescued to pave way for a good future for them.

Pelucy also called for urgent attention to address the welfare of the children whom he described as the future leaders of the nation. The Children, she noted are under siege of many adversities and societal ills because they are the most vulnerable, and so needed to be catered for so that they could have a better future.

"The children are under siege, under extreme poverty, they suffer most; the children are under siege of conflict and communal war, activities of militants; under the siege of HIV/AIS as the zone has the highest number of HIV victims. the children are being exploited, children are being trafficked. As result of HIV/AIDS and communal wars and activities of the militants, some parents usually died, leaving the children to suffer.

allAfrica.com