The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Christopher Maikalangu, has announced the establishment of an ‘Education Endowment Fund’ to enable children in rural communities have access to education.
The AMAC Chairman announced this on Monday, at the 2024 Children’s Day celebration at LEA Primary School, Aleyita, Abuja.
Highlighting the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Inclusion, for Every Child’, Maikalangu emphasised the role of education in protecting children from various forms of abuse.
He said that no child should be denied access to basic education and called for community vigilance in reporting any cases of child abuse, violence, or molestation.
‘I am honoured to join the rest of the world in commemorating Children’s Day with our children in AMAC. Education is a fundamental right, and it is imperative for every child to resist any form of child abuse.
‘This administration has adopted the Child’s Right Act to ensure no child is abused or molested in our schools and communities,’ Maika
langu stated.
To reinforce this commitment, Maikalangu announced the formation of a task force and the deployment of intelligent officers dedicated to gathering information and prosecuting cases of child abuse.
The AMAC chairman vowed to personally monitor the situation by paying unannounced visits to schools and communities, ensuring that no violator, regardless of status, would go unpunished.
‘Every child must go to school. As Executive Chairman, I will be visiting schools and communities to interact directly with children and gather firsthand information.
‘No violator of children’s rights will be spared,’ Maikalangu declared.
According to him, the newly announced ‘Education Endowment Fund’ is designed to provide educational opportunities for children in rural areas, offering them a chance to study within Nigeria and internationally.
He also said that the initiative underscored the commitment to inclusive education and the vision of empowering future leaders through learning.
Maikalangu extended his
gratitude to the teachers and caregivers for their dedication and hard work, urging them to continue their diligent efforts, as their actions significantly influenced the children’s learning and development.
In his address to the children, Maikalangu congratulated them on Children’s Day and encouraged them to focus on their studies, reminding them of their role as the leaders of tomorrow.
He also prayed for a conducive, peaceful, and secure environment for the children’s growth and development.
Delivering her goodwill message, Hajara Musa, Head Teacher, Gwagwa LEA, urged students to be committed to their education and community activities.
She congratulated the students and emphasised the importance of staying away from illicit drugs.
On his part, Mr Obiora Arinze, the Supervisory Councillor, Education and Social Development, AMAC, said the Chairman’ s cardinal objective was to ensure that every child within AMAC had access to education.
‘Every May 27 is actually a special day for the children. There’s
this saying that when you actually educate a child, you are building a formidable future. And that’s the dream of this administration.
‘The Chairman has always put education in the front burner. I just hope and pray for these children to see the need to be more committed in their learning for a better future tomorrow, ‘he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the celebration was cash donation for the participating schools, exercise books, and white boards to support learning.
NAN also reports that a cash sum of N300,000 was presented to the school that came first position in the match pass, while N200,000 was given to the first runner-up.
The second runner-up got N100,000 as its share of the money that was donated by the AMAC Chairman, among other incentives.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria