ONITSHA SOUTH MAYOR VOWS TO ARREST CHILDREN WHO HAWK DURING SCHOOL HOURS 

By Juliana Nwachukwu  :

The Onitsha South Local Government Mayor, Chief Emeka Orji, has vowed to arrest the children residence in Fegge, their parents/guardians who hawk on the streets and markets during school hours.

The Mayor made the vow through the Onitsha South LG Supervisory Councillor on Education, Hon.Echezona Dunu, after sounding note of warning to all the schools and churches within the area, notifying the general public and Onitsha South residence in particular that no child is permitted or allowed to be hawking on the street/market within Onitsha South during school hours.

“Anyone found will be arrested immediately and the parents/guardians will equally be arrested. The Solution led government has established free education for both Primary and Secondary School level, hence all children should go back to school,” he posited.

Hon. Dunu in his words said that he is on a duty, going around the street of the area both in the markets, picking all these hawkers, sending them back to school, register those that are not yet registered, noting that the Mayor has promised to provide school bags and uniforms which most of them complained about.

According to him, We started on Feb 1 and I advised parents and guardians to make use of the opportunity by allowing their children /wards to go back to school as the state government wants every child to go to school.

“Most of these children are talented, most of them are potential lawyers, Doctors, Engineers, allow them so that they can make something out of their lives.

“The Head Teachers should equally allow these children to enjoy the free education established by the state government by registering every child that comes to their school free of charge as it is free, we want every child to go back to school”.

On the Senior Secondary 3 students loitering on the streets, local government compound for their National Identity Number (NIN), he said that he always makes sure that students are registered first before others so that they can go back to their respective schools, since NIN is a must to be obtained before sitting for the West African Examination Council, WAEC.

He explained that his earlier inquiry to see if they can go to schools to register these students proved abortive because they complained of their inability to do that since it is a federal government initiative which would also warrant carrying their machines around.

He commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the Mayor for making education one of their priorities for the residence of the area and Ndi Anambra in general.

*Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State*