By Princess-Ekwi Ajide, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has in its quest to assist minimize the vulnerability of children and protecting them against all forms of terrorism and exploitation in Nigeria, promised to support the Nigerian Children’s Parliament in the fight.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, made the pledge while playing host to the Federal Capital Territory representative of the Nigerian Children’s Parliament, Miss Splendour Joe-King and members of her entourage at the NAF Headquarters, Abuja.
A statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the Chief of Air Staff appreciated Miss Joe-King for her efforts, describing the project, which seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable children as timely, considering the myriads of security challenges and other sensitive issues confronting Nigeria as a nation.
Air Marshal Amao noted that it is commendable that a young lady, would focus on helpless children especially as sustenance of peace is key to nation building.
He adviced Miss Joe-King to look beyond her current focus on assisting school-attending children but to also focus on out-of-school children and women who according to him, bear the brunt of conflicts and are more vulnerable to being recruited as terrorists.
Air Marshal Amao advocated that the awareness campaign be intensified in rural communities to educate school children on the implications and effects of child terrorism and other social vices and promised to inculcate the peace club initiative in all NAF Schools nationwide as a way of lending his voice to the fight against child terrorism.
Earlier, Ambassador Joe-King, who doubles as a National Peace Ambassador and the representative of the Federal Capital Territory in the Nigerian Children’s Parliament, had stated that her ongoing campaign, “Nigerian Children Call for Peace” Project aims at propagating the doctrine of peace, unity and sustainable development in Nigeria, as well as the establishment of Peace Clubs in schools across the country.
According to her, the initiative intends to mainstream children into peace development and peace building to achieve a zero violent society and harped on the urgent need to integrate terrorism education into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.
She said the need was her inspiration for writing a book titled, ‘Effects of Terrorism on Children’.
She noted that the book was an opportunity to educate and carry all children along on matters concerning terrorism.
According to her, the book will inculcate positive ideals in children and youths because they are integral part in the fight against terrorism and solicited NAF’ssupport and encouragement for the campaign to succeed and make remarkable impact towards national development.
Ambassador Splendour Joe-King, a 16 year old, is a human rights advocate for the National Human Rights Commission, an award holder of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award for Young People and the author the book, ‘Effects of Terrorism on Children’ which she published when she was 9 and presently, the lead convener of the Nigerian Children Call for Peace Project.
