Victor EzejaAs the world marks Children’s Day celebration today, Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, has reiterated his promise of creating an enabling environment through the provision of critical infrastructure that supports development as a way of securing the future of children.
Otti made this known in his Children’s Day message titled “Our Children, Our Future.”
The governor-elect noted that the theme for this year’s Children’s Day celebration, ‘Investing in our future means investing in our children’, is an insightful and instructional one which emphasizes the dire need for making conscious efforts to “invest in our future, that is, our children.”
Otti lamented that out of the over 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, as stated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Abia State has no fewer than 90,000 children who are not attending schools.
He said the best way to secure the future of the children is by consciously building infrastructure that encourages growth, especially education, which his administration is poised to work on.
He said: “The present and future of Abia depend on the quality and scope of education we provide for our children.
“We will intentionally prepare our children to be skilled participants in the global village, where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are used as productive tools for work and play.”
He urged the young ones to be of good behaviour as the government work to build a future for them.
His message reads: “I would like to on behalf of the people of Abia State congratulate our children on this year’s celebration of International Children’s Day, May 27, 2023.
“It is worthy of note to state that the theme for this year’s Children’s Day celebration is ‘Investing in our future means investing in our children’
“As insightful and instructional as this statement is, can we, in all honesty, in Nigeria, indeed Abia State, really say we have invested in our future, that is, our children? The answer is simply, no!
“The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) puts the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria at over 20 million. Out of this number Abia State has no fewer than 90,000 children not attending schools.
“This year’s celebration is, therefore, coming at a most auspicious time, when a new government will be taking over at the helms of political leadership in our state on May 29, 2023, just two days from today.
“The Labour Party (LP) government in Abia State that I will lead has already made a firm promise to create the enabling environment and atmosphere for the socio- economic development, growth and welfare of our citizens.
“This will entail the building of new infrastructure and revamping of existing ones; creating wealth and jobs for our agile army of youths, and opportunities for businesses to thrive and prosper; defraying outstanding wages and pensions and regular payments of same going forward.
“All these and much more we will do all in the effort to secure a future for our children, who, as we often say, are leaders of tomorrow.
“So, as we mark this year’s Children’s Day, I urge all our young ones to be of good cheer and at your best behaviour as we work to build a future for all and particularly, you, our children.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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