The Ondo State Government has disclosed that the children’s parliament, which had been moribund for 12 years in the state, will be revived ahead of the May 27 Children’s Day celebration.

The government said this will encourage the children to maximise their potential.
According to the Special Adviser to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr

Oluwaseun Osamaye, with the resuscitation of the children’s parliament, pupils and students would be exposed to legislative proceedings and how lawmakers operate and make demands for their constituencies.

Osamaye emphasised that the children would be taken to the State House of Assembly to observe the plenary session of the Assembly on Wednesday and Thursday, adding that the children will participate in oratory skills and cultural competitions in commemoration of the celebration.

Briefing journalists on the programme’s line-up for the 2025 Children’s Day celebration with the theme “Stand Up, Building A Bully-Free Generation”, the governor’s aide disclosed that no fewer than 2500 pupils of primary and secondary schools from 100 schools selected from the 18 local council areas of the state will participate in the competitions.

She said, “A student would represent each school that would represent each local government that would participate in the oratory skills competition. There are prizes to be won by the winners of the competitions.

“The first runner-up would receive ₦500,000, the second ₦200,000 and the third winner would receive ₦100,000.”

Explaining the cultural competition, Osamaye said each participating school would be expected to display cultural heritage peculiar to their host communities, stressing that the state is focusing on identifying the intellectual and knowledge capacity of the participants.

To achieve the goals of the competitions and other programmes, a one-day workshop for strategic stakeholders was organised by the ministry where the chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Victor Olabimtan, said, “While the government plays its part, our children need our attention, encouragement and support to sail through and/or avoid bullying.

“I urge both parents and teachers to know and play their roles diligently to educate our wards, both the bully and the bullied. Together, we can build a brighter future for our children, and I am confident that with our collective efforts, we can create a bullying-free society where every child can thrive.

“We can create a better world for our children, and it starts with us. Let us stand up and speak up against bullying and collectively build a bullying-free generation. Our children are our future; luckily, the future belongs to them.”