The Kwara government says it’s collaborating with the state judiciary to end street begging, hawking, child labour and abuse.
The commissioner for social development, Mrs. Mariam Imam, said this when she visited the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Abiodun Adebara, in Ilorin on Monday.
Imam said the state government, through the Ministry of Social Development, was committed to ensuring the upliftment of the less privileged and the eradication of social vices to make the state safe for all residents.
She said that efforts were made to eradicate street begging, hawking and other social vices, but minimal results were achieved because the offenders were recalcitrant.
“The best approach to curbing street begging menace is through legal means where offenders are charged to court for prosecution and sentenced or heavily fined without delay.
“This will serve as a deterrent to others; therefore, having a partnership with the state Judiciary becomes a necessity.
“There is also the need to properly engage traditional rulers in the state to tackle some of the social vices through traditional and cultural means,” she said.
The commissioner reiterated Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s continuous support to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents, especially children, vulnerable groups and other disadvantaged members of the state.
In his remark, Adebara commended Gov. AbdulRazaq’s exemplary leadership and unrelenting efforts at ensuring social equity and justice in the state.
He also appreciated the commissioner for her proactiveness and foresight in ensuring that the ministry was taking the lead in securing social responsibility and uplifting the disadvantaged members of the state.
The CJ said that the state judiciary was ready to collaborate with the ministry on strategic action plans and implementation of policies and programmes to eradicate street begging, child labour and hawking in the state.
