Mrs. Ambode said that the State government, apart from providing behavioural modification and habitable homes for correctional purposes, is also inculcating empowerment initiatives into the correctional centres as a way of developing the entrepreneurial skills of the students in order for them to be self-reliant.
“The State government has provided empowerment tools for wards of various correctional centres, particularly those who have excelled in vocations like photography, tiling, vulcanizing, tailoring, hair dressing, bead making and others. I believe that the tools being handed over to them by the government would keep them positively busy and make them live a meaningful life,” she stated.
While urging all students of higher institutions of learning to be vocationally skilled in addition to their formal educational pursuit, Ambode said that the present administration in the State would continue to prioritise the needs of the less privileged with special attention on children and other vulnerable members of the public.
“Lagos State is not immune to social challenges and perpetration of vices by some criminally-minded individuals but this present administration is always doing the needful to redirect the attention of culpable children and youths in reintegrating them into the society,” Ambode added.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, said that the students in the various correctional homes had been victims of societal disorderliness and faulty parental care before being rescued and placed under the care and protection of the State government for adequate attention.
“These youths here present today, have sat for their professional examinations conducted by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and have been awarded certificates to practice different vocations. These are the people who would have been disadvantaged if not for the efforts of the State government. They have not only been awarded certificates, government has also enhanced the possibility of their businesses taking off successfully,” the Commissioner stated.
She called on all family units to be more alive to their responsibility as parents by giving their children the needed support so that they can in turn impact positively on the society by being useful to themselves, their families and the society in general.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola said that the essence of embarking on the laudable projects is the desire of the State government to provide modern infrastructure to support the rehabilitation process and the reintegration of delinquent and less privileged children across the State as well as provide them with opportunity equal those of their counterparts outside the Homes.