Task force arrests 19 child-hawkers during school hours

Ekiti State Task Force on Child’s Right has arrested 19 children of school-age found hawking snacks, fruits and other consumables during school hours.

The children were apprehended at Itawure, Ita-Ido and Aramoko-Ekiti during a monitoring exercise of the task force in Ekiti Central Senatorial District of the state.

This was contained in a statement made available to our correspondent in Ado Ekiti.

The statement added that the pupils had been taken into custody at the state juvenile home.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi,  said parents and guardians of the children in the custody would be prosecuted at the state Family Court.

 The commissioner explained that the provision of the Child’s Rights made it an offence to engage children in hawking during school hours.

 According to her, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that their children go to school. Richie-Adewusi emphasised that parents who denied their children right to education were infringing on the children’s fundamental human rights.

The Chairman of the Efon branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Taiwo Olofindare, condemned the habit of making school-age children hawk goods during school hours.

He expressed support for government’s efforts at curbing the syndrome.