The Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has assured that his government will continue to work hard to prevent all forms of crimes against children and humanity in the state.
He added that his government will tighten the noose on perpetrators of child labour, trafficking and prostitution through legal and robust policy formulation in order not to destroy the lives of the country’s future leaders.
Fayemi spoke in Ado Ekiti recently during the 2019 edition of the children’s day celebration.
The Governor, represented by the Commissioner for Youths, Mr. Michael Awopetu, said: “the lives and future of our children are paramount to this government and we will spare nothing to protect them”.
“We have enacted laws like gender-based violence prohibition law, child rights law, equal opportunities law and also introduced school feeding programme to add value to the lives of our children.
“We are committed to your future and we enjoin our parents to collaborate with government so that policies targeted at the children population can be achieved.
“These children are our future and we will protect them through effective government policies and actions,” Fayemi assured.
In his remark, the Speaker, Ekiti children’s parliament, Hon. Michael Adebanji, tasked the government on the need to tackle the challenge of drug abuse among the youths.
He called on government to employ more teachers in schools while lauding the government for initiating school feeding programme, saying this will shore up enrolments in schools and ensure a balanced diet in the nutrition of the school children.
Other requests made by the Children’s Parliament Speaker to the State Government included the provision of well equipped Science laboratories in public secondary schools across the state; provision of standard libraries; that the school feeding programme should be extended to secondary schools in the state; supply of laptops, ensure the law against child abuse are enforced; provision of adequate recreational facilities for secondary schools students and that a programme on day guards for all the public secondary schools be put in place by the government.
“I want the government to make the environment more conducive and safer for children by fighting all forms of violence. They should make sure the youths are engaged gainfully, so that they can be liberated from all forms of crimes and drug abuse,” Rt. Hon. Michael Adebanji.
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
