The Senator representing Kwara
Central and Chairman Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology,
Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has debunked the allegation to his
knowledge of a sponsored bill before the Senate, proposing the
legalization of child marriage under any guise whatsoever.
Senator Saraki confirms that there is
no direct bill expressly proposing child marriage or an indirect bill
having a provision for that. Therefore it will be presumptuous to make
any further pronouncement on this issue.
For the avoidance of doubt, the
Distinguished Senator however said that if the information needed was
the clarification about comments made by some senators during the voting
on constitutional Amendment, then he cannot hold fort for the opinions
of the other Senator on the provision relating to the legal age for
capacity to renounce citizenship under the Nigerian constitution.
The Senator spoke further after
numerous comments on his website and social media pages making his
position clear; “What I can tell you is that one of the uppermost
principles which I uphold as a Senator is the wellbeing and protection
of children irrespective of their religious background or their social
status. The girl child especially needs protection under our law,
therefore any bill or legal provision which is aimed at promoting the
rights of any child, the wellbeing of children generally, the
prohibition of practices that inhibits the girl child and her potentials
and the elimination of all forms of discrimination against any child
will continue to receive my unflinching support”
Senator Saraki that during his tenure
as Governor of Kwara State, Kwara was first of 19 Northern States to
pass the Child Rights Act Domestic adopting the United Nations
convention on child rights.
Saraki concluded by reiterating his
earlier stand that any bill that seeks a contrary objective to the one
portrayed above will receive his objection.
Signed,
Bamikole Omishore
Special Assistant on Media And Advocacy to Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki
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