27th May, 2022
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday charged parents to inculcate the right values in their children to be able to shun social vices.
The governor spoke at the 2022 Children’s Day Celebration, at the Police College, Parade Ground, Ikeja, Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Folashade Jaji, said he is making a call to the parents and guardians to protect these innocent ones from all harms by providing better childhood in order to give them a promising future.
“We owe them a duty to ensure that their dreams and aspirations are realized through continuous training, guidance and mentoring,” he said.
He prayed that they would continue to be source of joy to their families and the state. He commended the Education Family of Lagos State, most especially the teachers for their relentless contributions and outstanding initiatives towards ensuring that the students are actively engaged.
According to Sanwo-Olu, his administration would do its best to ensure that it implemented policies and programmes to nurture these legacies, instill the ideals of quality education, and ensure that no child was left behind.
He said the theme for this year’s celebration, “A Better Future for Every Child” was quite apt as it highlighted the principles of the convention on the Rights of the Child that all children, irrespective of their status and present global situations, should enjoy their rights to survival and development for a better future.
Sanwo-Olu decried that children were presently falling victims of many social vices like child abuse, rape, drug abuse, hard labour, violence, among others.
He added that “They are denied opportunity to enjoy healthy life, parents’ love and commitment and other childhood happiness. Children’s Day celebration gives us an opportunity to reflect and renew our commitment to building a society that will guarantee for them a better future.
“The state is continuously embarking on series of initiatives and intervention programmes, in a bid to promote the Child Right Protection Law in line with the goal of the Universal Children’s Day to improve child welfare, promote and celebrate children’s rights and promote togetherness and awareness among all children. We recognise the role education plays in ensuring a better future of our children.”
Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, commended the Sanwo-Olu’s administration for raising the stake of the students to higher levels with the children showing competence to match their counterparts anywhere in the world by winning laurels at home and abroad.
Adefisayo reminded the students that the Sanwo-Olu’s administration had invested enormously in their education by providing all that they needed to meet their true potentials.
“You are the future of our dear state and nation. Therefore, I implore you to continue to work harder and excel both in academic and co-curricular activities,” she said.
She said the state government had put a lot of facilities at the students’ disposal, urging them to effectively use the facilities to their advantage.