The 5th Cross River Children Parliament has urged the state government to involve children in decisions on matters affecting them directly or indirectly, saying doing so could address youth-related societal vices.
The Parliament made the call, weekend, during a mock sitting shortly after a rigorous election which saw children from the 18 local government area of the state slug it out with one another.
During the election which was supervised by officials from the state ministry of women affairs as well as an organisation – Save the Children International, a student of St. Patrick Technical College Ugep, Kevin Nicholas Broere, emerged Speaker while deputy Speaker’s position fell on Osika Kachini Etim from Abi.
Mrs Asi Archibong, Director, Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs, had earlier sworn in the Speaker, his Deputy as well as other Principal Officers and members of the Parliament, before the siting.
In a resolution, after a motion on the issue of children participation in decision making, was raised by the House Leader, Divine Somtobechukwu, and deliberated upon, the parliament urged government and society to remember that since children remained leaders of tomorrow, they should begin now to have a say on tomorrow-related matters.
“Government shoud also conduct census of children to ascertain our population. This will help government to plan and accomodated us on issues that relate directly with us. We feel despised when we are not carried along,” the children submitted.
Meanwhile, the Ogoja field coordinator of Save the Children International, Mr. Effiong Akpan, said his organisation had to partner with the state ministry of women affairs to revive the Children Parliament after almost seven years of inactivity.
He believed that government would do everything to ensure the Children Parliament remained strong as a veritable tool to “catch them young for the betterment of our society.”