The Anambra State Government, through a task force known as Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA), domiciled in the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, has arrested 50 street beggars and out-of-school children hawking on the streets of Awka and its environs.
City & Crime gathered that the action is aimed at sanitising the state for easy flow of traffic and rescuing out-of-school children in order to achieve the administration’s clean, green and sustainable mega city agenda.
The arrests were made at the Arroma, Akwata and Regina Ceali junctions; Unizik’s temporary site; Amawbia Bypass; Eke Awka Market; among others.
Those arrested were men, women and children from different parts of the country.
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The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, stated that there had been an increase in the rate of children who hawked within Awka and beyond, increased evidence of child labour and exploitation that contradicted the Child’s Rights Law which the state was a signatory to.
She said the state government frowned at child labour in any guise and reiterated that any child seen during school hours would be apprehended and sent to school.
The beggars blamed economic hardship and lack of financial assistance. They then solicited financial assistance to enable them to start up businesses and enroll their children in school.
