Women Affairs Commissioner, Obinabo, Clears Beggars, Child Hawkers, Others, From Major Junctions In Anambra State Capital.
By Chidimma Toby
A joint task force from the Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare and Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, has cleared more than fifty street beggars and out-of-school children hawking from the streets of Awka and environs.
This aimed at sanitizing the state and pave way for easy flow of traffic, rescue out of school children in order to achieve the present administration’s Clean, Green and Sustainable Megacity agenda.
Areas visited by the joint taskforce Arroma, Regina Ceali Junction, UNIZIK Temporary Site, Akwata Junction, Amawbia Bypass, Eke Awka Market among others.
The team arrested more than fifty men, women and children who hail from different parts of the country.
Speaking shortly after the exercise, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Hon Ify Obinabo, observed that there was an increase in the number of children who hawk within Awka and beyond, with other evidence of child labour and exploitations that contradict the Child’s Rights Law which the State is a signatory to.
Hon Obinabo restated that Anambra State Government frowns at child labour in any guise and reiterated that any child seen during school hours on week days, would be taken and sent to school.
In a chat with reporters, some of the beggars, Uju Obie, Afam Nweke and Ifeoma Chukwu, said hardship and lack of assistance pushed them into begging as they could not fend for their children.
They said if assistance could be rendered to them to start up some businesses and put their children back to school, they would quit alms seeking for good.
Some passersby, Messers Dozie Obionwu and Emeka Adiene, commended the state government for its efforts in restoring sanity in the capital city and also encouraged it to sustain the measure in order to save the future of the children.
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