THE SPEECH OF THE HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER , MINISTRY OF WOMEN, CHILDREN & SOCIAL AFFAIRS IN COMMEMORATION OF THE YEAR 2020 NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY.
It is with utmost pleasure that I felicitate with Children all over the Country, as today marks the annual celebration of their Day.
Children's Day is observed on May 27 of every year to raise public awarenesses on problems confronting Children and to initiate actions for improved welfare of the children globally. The theme for this year's celebration is '' Promoting Girl Child Education for sustainable development''.
This year's celebration comes at a time that the world is combating the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Without doubt, this year's celebration would leave indelible memory in the minds of children all over as COVID has denied them of so much fun and a whole lot of activities to which they had always looked forward on this day.
The Stadia are empty, No March pasts, Schools are closed, all fun parks are shut, No school debates, No entertainment outing whatsoever; COVID-19 pandemic has taken the shine of
the Day, just as it affected the Worker's Day celebration and other important annual global events.
Irrespective, the year 2020 celebration remains extra special, marking the 30th annual anniversary of the conversation on "The Rights of the Child". A time to celebrate and a time to demand action for Children's Rights.
Children are God's heritage and hope for a better tomorrow hence all stakeholders must come together towards ensuring a peaceful and safe place for them in the society, no sacrifice can be too great to ensure their holistic care and total development. A child is anyone under the age of 0-18 years. At these ages, these individuals are not responsible for themselves and are therefore vulnerable necessitating they have the protection and care of parents or guardians.
In the society today, there are various challenges confronting children such as kidnapping, child labour, lack of quality education, malnutrition, abuses, host of diseases, usage of children for rituals, lack of parental care and mentorship, rape to mention a few.
These challenges culminate in an unsafe environment for our children. It is common knowledge that children are the future of every country. They are the future of great Nations, they can only be, if they are given a solid social foundation on which to thrive and are mentored into having the confidence to face the future. Again, our aspirations to have our children take over after us with the expectations to do better in society can only be realized if we imbibe in them a sense of direction. The measure of the welfare consciousness of a nation is often measured by her attention to children. It is important all nations place on her children and youth priority attention.
The State Government of Osun has immensely invested in the well being of children in the State.
Governor Adegboyega Oyetola's Administration makes heavy investment in the education of children in the State, a pointer is the recent review of some educational policies in the interest of our children.
His renovation of schools and provision of prompt feeding allowances, quality education and health insurance for the less privileged at the government child care units and the juvenile correctional centre are worthy of praises for the government and emulation by other States and stakeholders. The Governor in his usual style of being magnanimous has extended health insurance to all wards at orphanages across the State.
We are working with the State Ministry of education to ensure that children at orphanages in the State enjoy absolute free education.
Governor Gboyega Oyetola sees quality and functional education as a major tool for advancing the State and placing it on a pedestal where true human development and capacity building can be accomplished.
The health care of children in the State is unrivalled, feeding of our children in schools remains a priority, regular deworming exercises, immunization schemes, campaigns against harmful practices: Female Genital mutilation, school children drop out, teenage pregnancy, child labour and abuses continue to be atop Governor Gboyega Oyetola's agenda.
The State of Osun Government has become reputed for her no nonsense stand against all forms of abuses of children.
Very recently, the Ministry of Women, Children & Social Affairs pressed criminal charges against men who were found culpable in sexual abuse cases of children, we have taken custodies of children from their mothers, step mothers and relatives who abused them, the State has protected and given renewed hopes and positive lights and energy to our children.
We have taken greater and cautious care of our babies who are specially created and endowed ''. Government is providing psychosocial support, physiotherapy &medical care for them, the smiles on their faces and the warmth they espouse speak volume.
We have promptly responded to calls to rescue abandoned babies giving them life, care, shelter and future.
Presently, we are working on overhauling the juvenile correctional centre in a manner that restores the dignity and gives hope of a better tomorrow to children who are in conflict with the Law while empowering them during the course of their stay at the centre.
Her Excellency, the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola keeps touching the lives of children in the State. During the lockdown, Her Excellency was at the nooks and crannies of the State distributing food materials to families in the interest of the children. She has embarked on a number of medical intervention for children in the State. She is very active in the fight against child assaults, she lends her hand and her voice to children's causes and keeps doing more.
On our part, we have a renewed vow to continue to care, protect and guide the children in the State. We shall even be more hard on people who commit offences against children irrespective of social status or relationship with the children as we say no to child labour, child assault, molestation, discrimination of the Girl Child &harmful practices against children, we have always been forceful, strategic and intentional in our campaigns, we shall do more.
This year, we lined up programs showcasing the brilliance of our children to commemorate this Day.
Because our children are precious to us, we commenced their celebration on the 26th May to span through 28th May with the peak being on the 27th which has specially been set aside for them. The programs commence with a Counselling session on School Girl drop out and teenage pregnancy, Discussion session with Abdullahi Akintade &Kamorudeen Ridwan (the child who came first at the National Science & Technology Competition and the child who came 1st in Southwest in the 2018/19 JAMB Examination respectively), Debate sessions between schools in the State, Newstalk, Interview sessions and video presentations by our children amongst other programs. It promises to be engaging and fulfilling.
Let me seize the opportunity of this auspicious Day, to urge parents to invest in their children's education by sincerely putting the education and training of their children and wards on the front burner. I urge you to ensure that your children and those around you are protected from social vices that can enslave or lower their self esteem. I request that you intentionally befriend your children, spend time with them, be attentive and listen to their ''gibberish'' which often than expected, makes much sense. I beseech you to keep an extra eye on your children scaring away paedophiles who are always near and on the prowl.
We must come together to ensure that these young and impressionable children are trained up properly so they become responsible adults, we owe them these duties.
Remember that miscreants do not grow from the soil neither do terrorists fall from the sky, they are given birth to. May our children surpass us in greatness and responsibility.
HAPPY YEAR 2020 CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATION.
It is with utmost pleasure that I felicitate with Children all over the Country, as today marks the annual celebration of their Day.
Children's Day is observed on May 27 of every year to raise public awarenesses on problems confronting Children and to initiate actions for improved welfare of the children globally. The theme for this year's celebration is '' Promoting Girl Child Education for sustainable development''.
This year's celebration comes at a time that the world is combating the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Without doubt, this year's celebration would leave indelible memory in the minds of children all over as COVID has denied them of so much fun and a whole lot of activities to which they had always looked forward on this day.
The Stadia are empty, No March pasts, Schools are closed, all fun parks are shut, No school debates, No entertainment outing whatsoever; COVID-19 pandemic has taken the shine of
the Day, just as it affected the Worker's Day celebration and other important annual global events.
Irrespective, the year 2020 celebration remains extra special, marking the 30th annual anniversary of the conversation on "The Rights of the Child". A time to celebrate and a time to demand action for Children's Rights.
Children are God's heritage and hope for a better tomorrow hence all stakeholders must come together towards ensuring a peaceful and safe place for them in the society, no sacrifice can be too great to ensure their holistic care and total development. A child is anyone under the age of 0-18 years. At these ages, these individuals are not responsible for themselves and are therefore vulnerable necessitating they have the protection and care of parents or guardians.
In the society today, there are various challenges confronting children such as kidnapping, child labour, lack of quality education, malnutrition, abuses, host of diseases, usage of children for rituals, lack of parental care and mentorship, rape to mention a few.
These challenges culminate in an unsafe environment for our children. It is common knowledge that children are the future of every country. They are the future of great Nations, they can only be, if they are given a solid social foundation on which to thrive and are mentored into having the confidence to face the future. Again, our aspirations to have our children take over after us with the expectations to do better in society can only be realized if we imbibe in them a sense of direction. The measure of the welfare consciousness of a nation is often measured by her attention to children. It is important all nations place on her children and youth priority attention.
The State Government of Osun has immensely invested in the well being of children in the State.
Governor Adegboyega Oyetola's Administration makes heavy investment in the education of children in the State, a pointer is the recent review of some educational policies in the interest of our children.
His renovation of schools and provision of prompt feeding allowances, quality education and health insurance for the less privileged at the government child care units and the juvenile correctional centre are worthy of praises for the government and emulation by other States and stakeholders. The Governor in his usual style of being magnanimous has extended health insurance to all wards at orphanages across the State.
We are working with the State Ministry of education to ensure that children at orphanages in the State enjoy absolute free education.
Governor Gboyega Oyetola sees quality and functional education as a major tool for advancing the State and placing it on a pedestal where true human development and capacity building can be accomplished.
The health care of children in the State is unrivalled, feeding of our children in schools remains a priority, regular deworming exercises, immunization schemes, campaigns against harmful practices: Female Genital mutilation, school children drop out, teenage pregnancy, child labour and abuses continue to be atop Governor Gboyega Oyetola's agenda.
The State of Osun Government has become reputed for her no nonsense stand against all forms of abuses of children.
Very recently, the Ministry of Women, Children & Social Affairs pressed criminal charges against men who were found culpable in sexual abuse cases of children, we have taken custodies of children from their mothers, step mothers and relatives who abused them, the State has protected and given renewed hopes and positive lights and energy to our children.
We have taken greater and cautious care of our babies who are specially created and endowed ''. Government is providing psychosocial support, physiotherapy &medical care for them, the smiles on their faces and the warmth they espouse speak volume.
We have promptly responded to calls to rescue abandoned babies giving them life, care, shelter and future.
Presently, we are working on overhauling the juvenile correctional centre in a manner that restores the dignity and gives hope of a better tomorrow to children who are in conflict with the Law while empowering them during the course of their stay at the centre.
Her Excellency, the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola keeps touching the lives of children in the State. During the lockdown, Her Excellency was at the nooks and crannies of the State distributing food materials to families in the interest of the children. She has embarked on a number of medical intervention for children in the State. She is very active in the fight against child assaults, she lends her hand and her voice to children's causes and keeps doing more.
On our part, we have a renewed vow to continue to care, protect and guide the children in the State. We shall even be more hard on people who commit offences against children irrespective of social status or relationship with the children as we say no to child labour, child assault, molestation, discrimination of the Girl Child &harmful practices against children, we have always been forceful, strategic and intentional in our campaigns, we shall do more.
This year, we lined up programs showcasing the brilliance of our children to commemorate this Day.
Because our children are precious to us, we commenced their celebration on the 26th May to span through 28th May with the peak being on the 27th which has specially been set aside for them. The programs commence with a Counselling session on School Girl drop out and teenage pregnancy, Discussion session with Abdullahi Akintade &Kamorudeen Ridwan (the child who came first at the National Science & Technology Competition and the child who came 1st in Southwest in the 2018/19 JAMB Examination respectively), Debate sessions between schools in the State, Newstalk, Interview sessions and video presentations by our children amongst other programs. It promises to be engaging and fulfilling.
Let me seize the opportunity of this auspicious Day, to urge parents to invest in their children's education by sincerely putting the education and training of their children and wards on the front burner. I urge you to ensure that your children and those around you are protected from social vices that can enslave or lower their self esteem. I request that you intentionally befriend your children, spend time with them, be attentive and listen to their ''gibberish'' which often than expected, makes much sense. I beseech you to keep an extra eye on your children scaring away paedophiles who are always near and on the prowl.
We must come together to ensure that these young and impressionable children are trained up properly so they become responsible adults, we owe them these duties.
Remember that miscreants do not grow from the soil neither do terrorists fall from the sky, they are given birth to. May our children surpass us in greatness and responsibility.
HAPPY YEAR 2020 CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATION.
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