Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has inaugurated a 17-man advocacy and community engagement forum to promote child rights, survival, development and protection.
The inter-agency forum has Deputy Governor Ahmed Aliyu as chairman, while the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mainasara Ahmed will serve as its secretary.
Inaugurating the forum in Sokoto on behalf of Tambuwal, Aliyu said it would promote participation of traditional rulers and religious leaders, as well as other stakeholders in health, water supply, sanitation, hygiene and education.
“It will also ensure application of stocktaking of the community engagement works being carried out across the state.
“It will also ensure the capacity building of social mobilisers, to effectively support child rights, child survival, development and protection agenda in the state,” he added.
Tambuwal added that the forum would help to reduce infant and under-five mortalities, saying that, many of the causes were preventable.
The governor further stated that other issues related to deaths of young children in the state include poor nutrition and low capacity of health personnel will be addressed by the forum.
Others are poor sanitation and large number of out-of-school children, especially girls.
Tambuwal averred that the state government was accelerating the realisation of the rights of children and women, among others.
The governor charged the members to live above board to justify the confidence reposed in them.
Membership of the forum was drawn from the media, traditional, religious leaders, non-governmental organizations, development partners and other stakeholders.
