The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has said plans are underway to roll out the Education Endowment Fund to give children in rural areas the opportunity to go to school both in the country and abroad.
Speaking at the 2024 Children’s Day Celebration in LEA Primary School, Aleyita, Maikalangu said no child should be denied access to basic education for any reason as education remains key to bringing up good children.
He said: “I am honored to join the rest of the world to commemorate the Children’s Day celebration with our children in Abuja Municipal Area Council today. This is an annual event in recognition of our future leaders and I consider this event very important.
“I want to state categorically that no child should be denied access to basic education for no reason, as this is very important for every child to resist any form of child abuse. We must also report any case of child abuse, violence, and molestation against any child in our environment.
“The theme for this year’s Children’s Day celebration is “Inclusion, for every child”. On this note, I want to let you know that my administration has adopted Child’s Rights Act to ensure that no child is abused or molested in all our schools and communities. We have instituted a Task Force, and intelligent officers to go around the schools for information gathering against child abuse.
“Furthermore, we have completed the arrangement to arraign and prosecute every form of child abuse. I repeat, every child must go to school. As Executive Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council with my monitoring team, we will pay unsurprised visits to schools and communities to interact with children to get first-hand information. On this note, no violator of children will go unpunished no matter how highly placed you are.
“Let me use this opportunity to appreciate the resilience of our teachers and caregivers. The time and effort you devote to our children will not go unrewarded. I also want to advise that you must diligently discharge your duties to your pupils, bearing in mind that children learn more from actions.
“To our dear children, I congratulate you and urge you to pay attention to your studies. Remember, you are the leaders of tomorrow, whatever you do today has a great consequence to your future growth. I pray that Almighty God will help us to take steps towards ensuring a conducive, peaceful, and secure environment for our Children. Once again, happy Children’s Day celebration.”
