Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday gave hope to two underage girls who have been out of school.
The governor, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega akosile, was on his way to an official function at about 11am, but halted his convoy to attend to the girls who were hawking during school hours.
Troubled by the ugly sight of the two girls, Amarachi Chinedu, 9, and Suwebat Husseini, 12, Governor Sanwo-Olu stopped to find out why they were not in school.
“The girls were going to deliver buckets of peeled beans and pepper to a grinder when the Governor sighted them at Anthony Village area. It was a glance that presented a discomforting image for Sanwo-Olu, who revved his convoy to a stop to find out the reason the girls were not in school.
“Amarachi’s story left the Governor to shudder throughout the encounter. Her mother is a teacher, but the nine-year-old was not allowed to go to school because her parents could not afford the current session’s tuition fees. Amarachi would have to miss a school year because of this reason.
“Suwebat’s mother is the bean cake seller for whom the girls were running an errand. Her parents, who are Jigawa State indigenes, relocated to Lagos months back. Suwebat’s four male siblings were all in school at the time she was stopped on the road by the Governor. But her parents preferred she stayed back home to help with some domestic chores.
“The decisions taken by girls’ parents, Sanwo-Olu said, could rob the little ones of their innocence, their future and put them at a disadvantage among their peers. The Governor stressed that his encounter with the girls left his heart bleeding.”
The Governor, who coincidentally was on his way to formally launch Social Welfare Integrated Programme (SWIP) Initiative – a partnership between Government agencies and the private sector to standardise welfare administration for the vulnerable children, elders and those suffering mental, told the girls he would personally take up the responsibility for their education and upbringing, promising to enrol them in school to continue with their education.
“The Governor’s decision had been communicated to the girls’ parents,” Akosile said.
