CS-SUNN Extends 6-months Maternity Leave, Exclusive Breastfeeding Campaign To Enugu Head Of Service

…As Govt moves to build creche for nursing mothers

BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU

Determined to improve nutrition and encourage exclusive breastfeeding among women in Enugu State, the state government has put out plans in motion to enact a legislation that would enable working class nursing ladies embark on a six-month maternity leave with pay.

To give a legal teeth to the proposed six months maternity leave with pay as being advocated by the Civil Society-Scaling UP Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN, the six months paid maternity leave has been included in the Public Service Rule under review.

The Head of Service, Mr. Kenneth Ugwu made the disclosure when members of the CS-SUNN officials paid a working visit on him on Wednesday.

Ugwu said that in line with their advocacy for a six months paid maternity leave as well as the establishment of creches to enable nursing mothers in public service give exclusive breastfeeding to their babies, they not only put the request into consideration but have established creches for the working class ladies.

He also said that they have approved the recruitment of staff that would man the Creches.

The Head of Service equally disclosed that in no distant time, their request for the establishment of Nutrition Departments in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs would be accomplished. In short, he said that this could be actualised before the end of the year.

“We are committed to ensuring that Nutrition Departments will be established in the MDAs before the end of the year,” he said.

Earlier, the CS-SUNN Programme Manager, Dr. Goodness Chidi Anyanwu who led the delegation said that the purpose of their visit was to ensure that their commitment to the maternal protection, the implementation of the 6-months paid maternity leave, establishment of creches as well as the establishment of Nutrition Departments in MDAs is maintained.

“We came to follow up on the commitments made on maternal protection through implementation of six months paid maternity leave for working mothers and the establishment of creches.

“We also request an update on the establishment of Nutrition Departments in the MDAs for improved funding and coordination of nutrition programmes in the state,” Anyanwu said.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.