By Yahaya Idris, Abuja.
As part of her efforts as a mother to show love to Nigeria children, FCT Minister of State, Hon. Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, have joined Nigerians especially the young ones to congratulate the children in the FCT and Nigeria at large on the celebration of the 2020 Children’s Day calling on them to imbibe the virtues of honesty, discipline, hard work, moral uprightness and obedience to constituted authority.
Aliyu in a statement by her Special Adviser Media and Publicity, Austine Elamue, as a part of her congratulatory message to the children said that “on behalf of the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and the entire management of FCT Administration, the children have been identified as national and global leaders of the future”, stressing that those virtues were essential character traits required for the building of an ideal society.
She advised them to shun all acts that might negatively impact on their lives such as dishonesty, cultism, truancy and moral decadence.
The Minister also urged the children not to use the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 as an excuse to be idle but instead turn it into productive venture to learn new things from their parents and immediate environment.
According to her, “the Federal Government and the indeed the FCT Administration are doing everything within their powers to see that the COVID19 pandemic comes to an end soon.
The children should also play their own part as well. Observe all the protocols of social distancing, facial covering and constant hand-washing or use of hand sanitizers, I also want you to use this opportunity to learn new things from your homes and also from your immediate environment.”
She further stated “you should read new books and even learn to cook while also paying attention to your online lessons as if you are in the classroom.”
The theme of this year’s celebration which is “Promoting Girl Child Education for Sustainable Development”, she said the education of the girl-child was of paramount importance to the Administration, adding that the education of a girl child was tantamount to the education of a nation and the FCT is promoting programmes to ensure that no girl is left behind in the quest for education.
“As part of these measures 20 vulnerable girls have been supported with scholarship grants to the FCT College of Education, Zuba. The girls have been on scholarship since their senior secondary education. This is in addition to scholarship awards to over 200 orphaned girls across the Territory.
“The FCT Administration has also trained gender officers in the management and response to gender based violence in schools as well as promotion of disability rights in schools for girls living with disabilities.
“Trainings were also carried out for school heads and teachers across the FCT on making schools friendlier and safer for girls. This in addition to training them on providing psycho –social support and trauma management for girls who are survivors of sexual based violence in FCT schools,” she added.
The minister who used the medium to advised the parents to make the education of their daughters a priority, stressing that those virtues were essential character traits required for the building of an ideal society.
