The former Vice-President and one of the presidential
aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said he
will declare free educations at all levels if elected
president of the country.
Atiku has also proposed a number of ways to protect
and promote the rights of women and the girl-child
in Nigeria.
The former vice-president spoke at the public
presentation/launching of a book, “Re-thinking the
legal framework for rights of women and girl-child
in Nigeria,” in honour of founder, Women
Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication
Foundation (WOTCLEF), Hajiya Amina Titi Atiku
Abubakar.
Speaking on the state of affairs in the education
sector, Atiku
Abubakar, said the sector has suffered under
funding due to corruption, adding that if elected
president he will do everything possible including
declaring free education at all level to make quality
education available to Nigerians.
“Definitely l will declare at all levels. We will find
the resources to fund free education. When they are
wasting resources on corruption, why will they not
find resources to implement it.
“I believe that we should have free educations at all
levels, but l know that not all the state governments
have the resources to undertake that. That is why
when we were in government, we made free and
compulsory up to secondary school level,” he said.
The Turaki Adamawa, listed the ways to protect and
promote the rights of women and the girl-child to
include free compulsory basic education for all
children under 18 years of age, to be funded by the
states and local governments with support of the
federal government, public health efforts to reduce the
rate of maternal and child mortality.
Other initiatives include the institution of a well-
funded welfare system, combating sexual violence
against women by encouraging them to speak out
about sexual violence and other violations of their
rights and prevention of all forms of child abuse
such as child labour, child marriage and child
abandonment.
The former vice-president condemned the poor
educational, health and social situation of women
and the girl-child in our society and criticised the
lack of opportunities available to the girl-child.
He, however, commended the effort and foresight of
the founder of WOTCLEF and the team that made
the endeavour a success.
According to Atiku, “educating girls is vital to society
because girls who acquire education tend to become
better mothers, and tend to have fewer, healthier and
well-looked after children.”
He described as “very poor and embarrassing, the
2012 Gender in Nigeria report which placed Nigeria
at 118 out of the 134 countries in gender equality
index stating that the report shows that we are not
treating our women and girls well.”
Speaking at the event, representative of NAPTIP,
Abdulrahim Opotu Shaibu, a director, disclosed that
the organisation has rescued more than 6,000
trafficked women and children and achieved the
conviction of 258 traffickers since the agency came
into being.
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