Minors in Adamawa call for legislation to prohibit early marriage of girls
Minors in Adamawa State have called for an end to early marriages for underage girls, the minors call for the enactment of child rights protection bill that will stop parents from giving them out for marriage until they complete secondary school and give their consent.
The representative of the underage girls, Amira Abdullahi, a 13-year-old JSS 3 student at the Government Day Junior Secondary School, Luggere, in Yola North LGA, made the call during the assembly.
Amira pleaded with the assembly to give the ‘Child Protection Bill’ a speedy passage since it has scaled through first reading at the hallowed chamber, adding that enactment of ‘Early Marriage Prohibition Bill’ will help to stop parents in the state from giving their underage daughters out for early marriage.
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The 13-year-old further appealed to the assembly to ensure that girls are protected from cases of rape and other forms of gender-based violence and child abuse.
The students at the occasion also commended the assembly for passing the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP), Law and other education-friendly laws that are capable of bettering the education system and standards in the state.
Responding, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aminu Iya-Abbas congratulated the girls for their boldness to stand and demand their rights.
Iya-Abbas pledged the readiness of the assembly to pass the pending bills which have bearing on the girl child’s overall wellbeing.
