The President General of the apex Niger Delta socio-cultural group, Orashi National Congress, ONC, Amb Comrade Emeni Ibe, has called on Government at the Local, State and Federal levels to give special attention to children and deliberately create policies that will see to the positive fashioning of the future of Nigerian children.
Speaking to the media on Children’s Day, Amb Comrade Emeni Ibe said, “I wish to use this opportunity to celebrate the children in Orashi region, Rivers State, Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large on the occasion marking Children’s Day”.
“Children are the heartbeat of the world and the future of any society. I therefore, want to call on Government at the Local, State and Federal levels to give special attention to our children. Government should be very deliberate about fashioning out policies tailored with the future in mind so as to churn out great leaders and innovators tomorrow.”
“Children’s Day in Nigeria must now mean something more. It can no longer be a feel-good event for the few, while many languish in obscurity and squalor. The occasion must be redefined as a national moment for truth-telling, intervention, and impact. If we truly value our children as the future, then that future must begin with genuine actions today.”
“I strongly believe that Children’s Day should become a day of mass outreach, where agencies, NGOs, and Local Government Councils and State agencies descend on underserved communities to deliver healthcare, meals, psychosocial support, and access to learning. It should be a day when national and state governments release measurable progress reports on child welfare, tracking how many children were rescued from abuse, enrolled in school, or reunited with families.”
“Our State and Federal lawmakers should look at formulation of deliberate policies and proactive efforts tailored genuinely to shape the future of Nigerian children not excluding things like scholarships, bursary awards and free education at least up to Secondary School level. Parents and guardians should endeavour to dissuade their wards from joining bad gangs. I equally charge the children to respect their parents and guardians, shun peer pressure and focus on their education, which can guarantee a bright future. They should remain good ambassadors of their families. Once again, I celebrate the children and wish them Happy Children’s Day” Amb Comrade Emeni Ibe concluded.