By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As the 2023 Children’s day is being observed in the territory, Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has said that the education of youths, children remains a top priority agenda for his administration.
Maikalangu who spoke during the celebration of the 2023 Children’s Day at LEA Primary School, Durumi 2, noted i
the importance of stakeholders in education – parents and the citizens to collaborate by teaching their children and wards the virtues of patriotism, loyalty, and commitment to nation-building as a way of fostering love and national unity .
Maikalangu who was represented by the Council Secretary, Hon. Jafaru Gwagwa said, “The children day celebration is a national day to celebrate all children. They are the future and they hold the key to our society.”
“On our part as a Council. We are providing interventions in the educational and social welfare sub-sectors. We have identified and begun the rehabilitation of primary schools as well as providing instructional materials some of which are going to be distributed to some in our first phase of interventions.”
‘ Children’s day is one special event set aside to promote awareness on issues relating to this special class in our communities in a platform that further addresses issues that border on the education, welfare and wellbeing of youths and children.”
“Through this forum, we are able to confront challenging scenarios that militate against their overall existence as leaders of future Nigeria with a view to providing safety nets afterwards.”
“In addition, it is the duty of all of us to desist from exposing children to foreign and counterproductive cultures. Here, church leaders, guardians and the school have greater roles to play.”
“The state of the nation as it concerns youth and children is not only distrubing, but unacceptable. The spate of out-of-school, child labour, street trading and begging is on the rise due to societys lack of commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of the children.
“However, given the posture of this year’s theme, I advocate that the only solution is for us to have collective action in solving those and many other problems that has threatened the children, value-orientation, national concensus and other interconnected malaise in the society.
The LEA Secretary, Hajiya Maryam Baba Karshi, discussed that many teachers have been teaching in the school for years as PTA teachers, urging the Chairman to consider offering them permanent employment.
She said, “As children, everyday is your day. I want you to be good children. Good children are blessings to their parents. To the teachers, kindly take these children as your biological children if you want to succeed in life. ”
Hajiya Karshi however complained to the Chairman that although they hardworking and dedicated PTA teachers, but they are being paid peanuts.
According to her, most of the teachers have being teaching in this school for more than 12 years as PTA teachers as non staff and she requested that they should be employed as permanent teachers. Kindly use your good office to look into this request as we will be grateful, she pleaded.
Speaker of AMAC, Hon Matthew Danjuma, said that the council will make effort to provide seats for the pupils within the year in order to ensure good learning condition.
Danjuma said, “We will appropriate seats for you because they’re important. We did not sit on the floor during our time, so we will not allow you to sit on the floor.”
The Head of Education Department, Dr Ibrahim Aminu, said that the Chairman had approved screening of teachers which will commence next week.
He informed that screening of teachers is another way of sanitizing the educational system in the Communities, adding that teachers are not qualified they will not be able to teach well.
He also advised youths to stay away from drugs and friends who would influence them negatively.
Highlight of the day was the presentation of gifts to schools that participated in the March past exercise, with LEA Primary School Durumi 2 which won the first position.
