Stakeholders Endorse Amosun’s Bill on Child’s Right
The Child’s Right Act 2003, Amendment Bill 2020, sponsored by Senator Ibikunle Amosun has received a boost as stakeholders at the Public Hearing on the General Principles of the Bill, held at the National Assembly, lent their voices in support of the Bill.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun, while speaking on the importance of the amendment of the Child’s Rights Act of 2003, emphasised the need for the socio-economic lives of all our children under the age of 18 to be highly protected in the hands of criminals. The amendment states that any person convicted of murder, attempted murder, rape, indecent assault or assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm with regards to a child, SHALL BE UNSUITABLE to work with Children.
In his words, “the current legislation has not done enough to look at the past criminal records of social workers, who are in constant meeting with children in their social environment.
Senator Amosun added that with this amendment, social workers who have committed different crimes that would endanger the lives of the children will be prevented from working with them, pointing out that this is the best practice in most developed countries of the world such as Uk, USA, Canada, China and Russia.
Stakeholders at the Public Hearing, including the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, members of the civil society organisations and other interest groups representing the welfare of children, unanimously agreed that the amendment was “necessary, long overdue and timely”.