Akpabio Gets 2010 Child Friendly Governor’s Award

Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio has emerged the overall best winner in this year’s child friendly Governor’s award.
Chief Akpabio scored 78.1 percent to beat the governors of Imo and Jigawa states.
Mr. Anderson Archibong, founder of Child Rights Brigade International conferred the award on the Governor recently at the Governor’s office, Uyo.
Mr. Archibong said the body, an advocate of Child Rights Act in collaboration with National Human Rights Commission and UNICEF-Support Project carried out an independent investigation into activities of child’s education in the country under the categories of participation, survival, child protection and education.
Of the four categories, he said, the Governor scored highly to beat other contestants, expressing the hope that in years ahead the Governor would nick the 100 percent score.
Governor Akpabio thanked the Non-Governmental Organisation for the award and dedicated it to children with HIV infection, and those who suffered human trafficking, abandonment as well as members of the State Executive Council for their teamwork spirit.
Chief Akpabio particularly commended the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare for her passion to children with disability and stigmatization and his wife for building a befitting centre for children in the state, which according to him, was the best edifice built through financial assistance from corporate bodies and not through government assistance.
“A lot of things have happened to change the landscape of the state. We invest heavily in child development. For those who will take over the mantle of leadership tomorrow, we have to introduce free education. So far, we have spent N3.6 billion in free text books for our children in the primary and secondary schools”, he said.
“No single incident of polio since 2009 in the state. In few years from now, polio will be eradicated. I have also offered free medical vaccines to children under the age of five”, he added.