Olori Atuwatse III advocates collective effort to tackle out-of-school children menace

The wife of the Olu of Warri, Her Majesty, Olori Atuwatse III, says a collective effort is needed to tackle the growing menace of out-of-school children across Nigeria.

The number-one Itsekiri woman in Warri Kingdom, who decried the alarming increase of the menace, said the government alone could not handle it as it requires help even from the grassroots level.

Olori Atuwatse, therefore, called on stakeholders in the private sector, mostly International Oil Companies (IOCs), indigenous players in the oil and gas industry, bankers and other financial institutions, religious bodies, educational establishments, embassies, the United Nations, and community indigenes, to join hands in tackling the menace.

While admitting that the government had been doing a lot in this regard, she noted that the government could still do more to address the ugly trend that had contributed to denying children access to quality education, which is one of their foundational rights and privileges as citizens.

Expressing her concerns over the high rate of out-of-school children while speaking with newsmen at the Olu of Warri Palace yesterday, during an event tagged “Story Time with Mama Iwere,” as part of the activities to mark this year’s Children’s Day, Olori Atuwatse canvassed love and unity among indigenes of various communities so they could see every child as their own.

She noted that the rising cases of children dropping out of school would have been drastically reduced if every family that is financially stable in all communities could begin to take up the responsibility of adopting a child of those whose parents are not well-to-do so that they can acquire a basic education to make them better citizens.

“We should encourage unity and communal living rather than an individualistic lifestyle. Since quality and the right education will make our country better, we should encourage the important values of selflessness, integrity, responsibility, and honesty as passed on to us by our forebears.”.

“Therefore, in view of the noticeable lack of access to schools, particularly in the Niger Delta creeks, as well as the lack of funding by many parents, society has a role to play and not just the government alone.

“For parents that can, please look into how you can sponsor other children to school. Let’s collaborate and reawaken communal relationships by sending our children to school, as human capital is the best asset any nation can boost, and Nigeria is blessed with a huge human population,” the Olori averred.

The event featured “Story Time with Mama Iwere,”  a programme put together by the wife of the Olu of Warri “to encourage literacy, creativity, and innovation among young children, using stories to give them a sense of identity and also imbibe worthy morals for children.”

A novel authored by the wife of the Olu of Warri titled ‘The Singing Stars that Found Their Beats’ was read to the children during the occasion.

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