How Ebonyi governor changed the lives of child-hawkers who ran into him

On Tuesday, two children who hawk petty items after school were on Tuesday fortunate enough to come across David Umahi, Ebonyi state governor.

Ukamaka Ikema and Chimuanya Nwarie, were on their daily post-school hawking rounds when they ran into the governor who was inspecting the Akanu Ibiam roundabout flyover in Abakaliki.

10-year-old Ukamaka is a primary three pupil of Ezikwo Primary School while Chimuanya, 12, is a JS I student of Evangel Nursery, Primary and Secondary School.

Punch reports that Umahi noticed the children during his inspection, and instructed his orderly to bring them to him.

After speaking with the children and learning that they usually hawked after school, the governor reportedly told his ADC to go and pick up the parents of the teenagers from their homes.

Emma Anya, chief press secretary to the governor, said Umahi interacted with the mothers of the two children at the government house, and warned them to stop sending the children to hawk.

He was said to have subsequently approved N500,000 for each of them for the upkeep and tuition of the two children.

The parents were instructed to deposit N200,000 each in their banks and use the balance of N300,000 each to start small scale business.

The women were also offered temporary appointments by the governor while bank accounts have been opened for the two children.