Ambode appeals to parents not to engage their children in street trading during schools hours

Lagos Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, has appealed to parents to secure the future of their children by not engaging them in street trading during school hours.

The 52-year-old former Accountant-General of Lagos State charged the parents to try to respect the Child Right Law provisions of the state.

Ambode who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Elizabeth Ariyo, stated this while presenting 250 West African Senior School Certificate Examination forms to indigent residents of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area on Tuesday August 11.

''What we are witnessing today is part of the social responsibility of the government to ensure that life is more comfortable for the people,''Ambode said. ''It is therefore necessary to appeal to parents to secure the future of their children and themselves by not engaging them in street trading during school hours. To the beneficiaries, I enjoin you to show appreciation by performing well in your examination. This is the only way you can make the council and your parents proud. You must take your academics seriously so that you can use it as a tool to free yourself from the shackles of poverty, ignorance, diseases and all manner of vices. You must also inculcate excellent moral conduct, such that your immediate community can vouch for your character. I must not fail to let parents know that many of these beneficiaries must brace up their academic standard so as to excel in the forthcoming examination and other examinations ahead. This is our objective.''

According to Punch, Mrs. Toyin Egberongbe, a parent of one of the beneficiaries, whose 14-year-old son, Amir, scored the highest in the mock examination organised by the council commended the council for the gesture, saying the initiative had brought relief to many parents.