By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – A frontline governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Engr. Johnbosco Onunkwo has called for responsible development of children to be recognised as one of the foremost priorities in the society.
He made the call on Thursday, May 27, 2021, in a Children’s Day message to mark this year’s celebration.
Noting that the “future of our children is now and here with us,” he stressed that whatever ”training or conducive environment we fail to provide for our children now will affect the realisation of their full potentials later in life.”
Onunkwo said more urgent actions must be taken by governments at all levels to give ”our children an environment in which they can thrive.”
The Anambra Governorship hopeful stated: “It has become imperative to see the responsible development of our children as one of our foremost priorities stating that the future of our children is now and here with us.
”Whatever training or conducive environment we fail to provide for our children now will affect the realisation of their full potentials later in life.”
He called on the governments to make concerted efforts to address the growing number of out of school children, which was worsened by the prolonged Covid-19 enforced lockdown of the past year.
Onunkwo explained that such efforts should include a programme that will take children off the streets into the classrooms such as the one he already instituted in his individual capacity called the ‘Back to School Programme’.
According to him, the programme has succeeded in enrolling hundreds of indigent pupils back to school in Anambra State within the past few months.
Engr. Johnbosco Onunkwo concluded by describing children as bundles of joy in homes and the society who must be protected and given the best training parents and the society can offer.
He also appealed to parents and guardians not to shy away from their core responsibilities of raising them into decent and responsible adults, while admonishing children especially in Anambra to obey their parents and respect their elders.