2019 CHILDREN’S DAY: EBONYI CHILDREN CALL FOR IMPROVED EDUCATION FACILITIES AND SECURITY IN SCHOOLS

Some children in Ebonyi State have called on the State Government to do more in equipping primary and secondary schools with modern teaching aids and other basic facilities to create conducive learning environment in the area. They made the call at the 2019 Children’s Day Celebration in Abakaliki.

Children from various schools across Ebonyi State converged on Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium to mark this year’s International Day for the Children, which had its theme as “Drug Abuse among Children: Address the Challenge.”

In an interview with Radio Nigeria, Some of the children commended government for renovating dilapidated structures in some schools in the state and urged it to do more, especially in the provision of furniture in the class rooms.

“We don’t have enough chairs to sit down, some pupils if they come late, teachers will ask them to sit on the floor.

“We want the government to bring us desk and chairs and rebuild some places,” the children said.

They further appealed to the government to embark on the construction of perimeter fence in schools in the state in view of increasing cases of security breaches in the country. The Wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Rachel Umahi, noted that the State Government was impressed with the level of academic excellence being recorded by the children of the state in national competitions and harped on girl child education in the area.

“Your Governor said he was going to do so much to improve your educational system more than he had done in the past, that you will continually be serious with your academic pursuit,” Mrs. Umahi stated. In a Presidential Address, which centred on the theme of the event, Governor David Umahi represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, pointed out that children represented the future of the nation and urged them to take their studies seriously as well as stay away from drug abuse.

According to the Presidential Address that he read, “The choice of this years theme drug abuse among children, addressing the challenges actually reflects our administrations efforts on moral rearmament in ensuring brighter future for our children and generations yet unborn.”

The event witnessed march past and other social activities by the school children while there was tight security to prevent possible breaches.

AMECHI ODO