Abia State Government Launches Statewide Crackdown On Child Hawking During School Hours

In a bold and strategic move to eradicate child hawking and enforce the universal right to education, the Abia State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has commenced the full-scale implementation of the Education Marshal initiative.

The newly invigorated programme is designed to identify and apprehend school-age children who are found hawking or trading during official school hours. These children will be removed from the streets, while their parents or guardians may face legal action in line with existing state laws.

Launched simultaneously across the state’s three senatorial zones: Abia North, Abia Central, and Abia South, the exercise saw specially trained security personnel and education marshals actively patrolling local communities from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The operation, according to officials, will continue daily while schools are in session.

This decisive initiative is in direct response to a directive from the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, who recently reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering commitment to ensuring every child in the state has access to basic education.

Governor Otti also reiterated the state’s free education policy, which fully covers tuition from primary education up to Junior Secondary School (JSS 3). He issued a stern warning that parents who fail to send their children to school would face the full weight of the law, citing the Abia State Children’s Law of 2006.

“There is no reason whatsoever why any child should be found on the streets during school hours.

“Education is free in Abia State up to JSS 3. We will not tolerate negligence from parents or guardians,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education.

The Education Marshal programme is a key component of the Otti administration’s sweeping reforms in the education sector. It serves not only to enforce compliance but to address and dismantle the socio-economic challenges that have kept children out of classrooms for generations.

Officials emphasize that this initiative reinforces every child’s right to education and seeks to build a society where illiteracy and child labor are no longer tolerated.

As the enforcement phase gains momentum, the government is urging parents, guardians, and community stakeholders to cooperate fully with marshals and education authorities to ensure that children attend school consistently and without fail.

This latest effort reflects the state government’s broader vision for a more enlightened, empowered, and educated Abia and sends a clear message that education is not just a policy; it’s a right that must be protected and upheld.