By Uzoh Nwakije, from Awka
Anambra state government is not happy that despite free education at the primary and junior secondary school levels, many children, were still seen regularly hawking on the roads across the state.
The Commissioner for Social Welfare, Child and Women Affairs in the state, Dr Victoria Chikwelu, at an event to mark the Day of the African Child in Awka warned that government would begin to arrest of children who hawk during school hours from September, this year.
Dr Chikwelu reminded parents of the dire consequences of allowing their children to engage in the act, warning that government was ready to tackle the menace of child hawkers.
She called on husbands to give adequate protection to children in their homes against any form of maltreatment from their wives.
Dr Chikwelu also appealed to the Heads of various levels of education in the country not to compromise the standard of education to enable the children obtain the best of education in their lives, warning, “with the free education from primary to junior secondary schools in the state declared by the state government, hawking would no longer be tolerated”.
The Speaker of the Children Parliament in the state, Master Edden-Rex Abara, called for equal opportunities to accessing education among the children in the country.
Another child, Master Ilechukwu Chukwujekwu, commended the federal government’s school feeding programme and called on various levels of governments to protect them against abuse and maltreatment by society.
Miss Nkechi Nwoye appealed to governments at all levels to declare free education from primary to secondary schools in the country to enable children from poor homes to access quality education.
The event featured road show, newscasting, cultural display and drama from the children.