The Bayelsa State Government, on Thursday, said it would arrest and prosecute parents, who refused to send their children to school to acquire formal education.
The order was issued following the signing into law of the Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Bill by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.
Speaking after the 89th State Executive Council (SEC) meetingโ, the Commissioner for Education, Jonathan Obuebite, said the new law prescribed that every child of school age must be enrolled into the various model schools of the government.
Obuebite maintainedโ that any child caught loitering or hawking on the streets during school hours would be picked up while their parents or guardians would be dealt with as provided in the new law.
He explained that the move was to underscore theโ importance the government attached to education, adding that it would ensure full utilisation of the huge investment made in the sector.
He said: โWe have spent over N70bn building and equipping our schools. Today we have quality infrastructure and facilities across our schools in every local government area. We feel it is important to have this law to protect that investment.
โThe law will be fully implemented. We want to thank His Excellency for his assent and members of the assembly for passing it into law. Clearly the law is to demonstrate our commitment to education in the stateโ.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebuโ said the council expressed delight with the bill establishing the School of Midwifery which was also signed โinto law by Dickson.
He said the law would further boost primary healthcare delivery in the state adding that the new Primary Healthcare Development Board would be given the responsibility of coordinating and managing all health facilities built in every community.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Tourism Development, Ebiere Irene Musa noted that with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bristow Helicopters, shuttle services for the companyโs seaplane from Yenagoa to other states in the Niger Delta as well as Lagos and Abuja had commenced.
โWe have brought our tourism potentials out โto the world. Just after the commissioning of the magnificent Grand Pavillion and Boat Club, Oxbow lake, we have today signed an MoU with Bristow helicopter. So it is a thing of joy that from Oxbow lake you can connect Lagos, Abuja and other states in this regionโ.
The Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Kuroakegha Dorguโ, further explained that the council resolved to acquire the land opposite the Grand Pavillion in Oxbow lake to expand the tourism site.
He said fishing, farming, dredging and other related commercial activities had been banned to allow for smooth tourist operations in the area.
Also, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said henceforth any community not receptive to some projects risked losing such development in their domain.
Iworiso-Markson said the council frowned on the attitude of indigenes of some community who were always preventing the presence of meaningful development in their area because of their selfish purpose.
