KWSG TO PARTNER PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO FORESTALL ILLEGAL DAYCARE CENTRES/CRECHES

(The Commissioner for Social Development, Hon Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade (4th right); Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Ayanwale Peter Kayode (4th left); Director, Social Welfare, Mr. James Kayode David (2nd right); Vice President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Kwara State Chapter, Comrade Saadu Saka (3rd right); Desk Officer, Kwara Internal Revenue Service, Mrs. Alakoso Mariam (1st left); flanked by other members of the Association and the Ministry's staff)

The Kwara State Government has expressed its wish to partner with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), for a seamless collaboration to tackle illegal operations of Daycare Centres and Creches within the State.

The Commissioner for Social Development, Hon. Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade, expressed this yesterday during a meeting with the Association Executives, in her office.

Hon. Afolashade said the call was to keep the Association abreast of the latest development regarding the new setup policies, rules and regulations guiding the establishment and operation of Daycare Centres/Creches in Private Schools, which now falls under the purview of the Ministry.

The Commissioner further stressed the need for a working collaboration to forestall the recent uprising of unregistered Daycare Centres/Creches and their illegal operations in the State.

"We have summoned you for a meeting to intimate you that the new government setup policies since the splitting of Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and our Ministry now enshrine by law, the regulatory role over Daycare Centres/Creches within the State and its tax are accrued to our Ministry accordingly", she explained.

"Moreover, the Ministry in our supervision with dismal, wish to express our deep concern regarding the irate uprising of unregistered private schools operating Daycare Centres/Creches, which we believe your Association should be answerable to", Hon. Afolashade added.

The Commissioner however charged the NAPPS Executives to setup a working mechanism in partner with the government, not only in the interest of the government to meet its revenue targets but also to safeguard the innocent children, aged 0-3 years, from the inherent dangers they are likely to be exposed to.

Hon. Afolashade urged them to ensure the enumeration of its membership data, renewal of annual registration and payment of tax to foster more developmental projects from the State government.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Peter Kayode Ayanwale called on the Association Executives to escalate the message to its members across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State, urging them to give maximum cooperation to the monitoring team of the Ministry during their inspections to schools.

The Vice President, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Hon. Saka Saadu, appreciated the Ministry for its thoughtfulness to have engaged them on the issue, adding that the Association has always been responding to government on any matter of importance of this nature.

The Vice President, highlighted some of the grievances of the Association with government's Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the past, applauding the new development by the State government.

He assured the Ministry of continued compliance and cooperation in all the highlighted areas, to stem the tide of illegal operations of Daycare Centres/Creches in the State.

Present at the meeting were the Director, Social Welfare, Mr. James Kayode David; Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Yakub Kamaldeen; Desk Officer, Kwara Internal Revenue, Mrs. Alakoso Mariam; and other staff of the Ministry.

Oluwole Damilola,

 Press Secretary, 

 MSD.

 0806 245 6213