By Josephine Obute

Some parents have advised government to provide more teachers and beef up security in schools following the recent abduction of school children in Lagos State.

The parents gave the advice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the 2017 Children’s Day festivities at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

NAN reports that six children of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, were abducted by unknown gunmen on May 25.

A businesswoman, Mrs Goodness Ohaya, who brought her children for the celebrations, said that parents needed more reassurance from government on the security of school children.

“We need government to beef up security in our public and private schools so that our minds can be at rest, because we do not know the next target,” she said.

Ohaya also advised the government to increase the number of teachers in public schools as the population kept increasing by the day.

“The number of children in our schools is in no way commensurate with the teachers available to cater for them,” the businesswoman said.

Mr Kuti Aderemi, a civil servant, said the Lagos State Model College, Epe, was too withdrawn from the community; as such, it should be adequately secured.

Aderemi said the area was too remote and that people should be encouraged to build houses around the school to keep the area busy.

Mrs Joy Atuegbe, a civil servant, advised the government to sponsor recreational activities for kids on Children’s Day to enable them to have fun.

“It is not enough to set up a beautiful place like the National Theatre and not organise any programme for the children.

“The children just came around only to be exploited by the private organisers through gate takings,” she said.

Also, seven-year-old Abiden Olanrewaju, appealed to the government to rehabilitate roads within metropolis to prevent flooding.

Mr Tunde Owofade, a teacher at the Holy Family School Lagos, said that coming together on Children’s Day would enable children to felicitate with one another.

Mrs Bukola Shekoni, one of the sponsors of the children’s programme at the arena, said recession had forced most parents to withdraw their wards from the private to public schools.

Shekoni, also a sales manager in an insurance company, urged government to provide more teachers and classrooms to improve the standard of public schools.

NAN reports that no fewer than 2,000 school children and private individuals besieged the National Theatre, Iganmu, to celebrate 2017 Children’s Day. (NAN)