Ogun Govt Outlaws Hawking By Kids

The Ogun Government is to outlaw hawking by children from November.

Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, made this known on Tuesday in Abeokuta.

She said criminalising hawking by children throughout the state would ensure that parents took full advantage of the state government’s free primary and secondary school education policy.

The commissioner said a bill outlawing hawking by children had been passed by the state House of Assembly.

She said an aggressive enlightenment campaign would follow suit to alert parents on the dangers of hawking by children.

The commissioner, who maintained that all children of school age must be given the opportunity of early education, warned parents not to toy with the future of their wards.

“We will not condone children of school age parading the streets under the guise of assisting their parents economically.

“Parents should also know that they are putting these children at grave risk.

“After the three months of grace, by November, any child found on the street hawking would be picked up and taken to a juvenile court.

“The parent will also face the penalty,” she said.

The commissioner, however, did not disclose the penalty to be meted out to erring parents.

Sonubi also spoke of plans by government to enact an equal opportunity law to assist women in the state.

According to her, the bill will make it mandatory for government at the local and state levels to accommodate certain percentage of women in governance.

She commended Governor Ibikunle Amosun for being gender sensitive, saying his administration had given women the highest percentage of appointments in the history of the state.