As pupils and students resumed for second term , the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun has assured parents of Junior Secondary School pupils in government schools of the commitment of the Governor Seyi Makinde led administration to continued support for students and parents alike through the provision of basic needs through its numerous Social Welfare Intervention schemes.
Mrs Balogun gave the assurance on Monday while welcoming pupils and students to the new academic calendar on behalf of His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, the First Lady; Her Excellency Tamunomini Makinde and the various levers that constitute the entirety of the Oyo State Government
The Commissioner added that this Social Welfare Intervention is intended to help in curbing the menace of out of school children, keep our children off the streets and out of correctional Institutions and to alleviate the plight of economically beleaguered citizens of the state in these hard times.
According to her, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion will be distributing school bags, backpacks, socks, water bottles,notebooks and other requisite school supplies to students from government owned junior secondary schools in the 33 LGs through 3 events in 3 locations in the 3 Senatorial zones in the state.
Her words:
“School resumption for each new term is usually a period of concern and worries to many parents and students.For all those parents agitated and worried about the resources to replace the tattered or lost school supplies from last term for your children,worry no further, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde in his role as the Protector of the Vulnerable demographics in the state,a role he assumes with every level of seriousness, is about to come to the rescue through yet another Social Welfare Intervention.
“The Ministry for Women Affairs & Social Inclusion will be distributing School Supplies such as; School bags,Backpacks,
Socks,Water bottles and other requisite school supplies to our children across the 3 Senatorial districts starting from this month
This opportunity is open to our children in Junior Secondary classes of Government Owned Secondary Schools both already within the school system or those that hitherto constitute part of the Out Of School Children statistics who are just joining the structured school system.
This initiative is intended to complement the efforts and drive of the Governor Makinde led government to:
1.Take our children off the streets
2.Reduce the number of Out of School Children in the state,a menace which impacts negatively on several developmental indices apart from its dire security implications.
3.Such Social Welfare Interventions from the Governor Seyi Makinde led government are intended to help put our children on the path to becoming useful to themselves and the society at large instead of swelling the ranks of criminality who are resident in various Prisons and Correctional Facilities
4.It is also intended to take the additional load off the backs of weary parents particularly under the present harsh economic climate
In 2019 when His Excellency assumed office,Oyo State unfortunately had the dubious record of contributing almost 500,000 to the Out of School Children statistics in the state,the highest in the entire South of Nigeria!
By the end of his first term,through different multi sectoral/ministerial interventions,this number had been brought down by over 200,000.A vastly significant improvement but this government is committed to eliminating this menace through various interventions from the Ministries of Education,Women Affairs & Social Inclusion,Youths & Sports,Agriculture and agencies eg SUBEB before the end of its second rodeo in office.
I thus enjoin and encourage our students who are returning to school to intentionally embrace the learning process,apprise themselves of this opportunity determined to develop their latent potentials
They are encouraged to rest assured on the commitment of this government to supporting them on the journey to becoming the best versions of themselves.
Welcome back to the First Term of the 2024 School Session dear children!”