Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has on behalf of the past and present leaders, apologised to children on the inability of the leaders to address their needs.

At a thanks giving service to mark the Children’s Day celebration on Sunday in Asaba, Uduaghan said that most of the present challenges, especially that of electricity supply would soon be addressed.

He assured the children that the federal and the state governments were putting structures on ground to guarantee their future.

The governor said that the Delta Government had embarked on the renovations and reconstructions of schools in order to enhance competitiveness in the public education sector.

Uduaghan, while urging the children to take care of government facilities in the schools, charged them to shun all vices, especially cultism, which had permeated the secondary schools in the country.

He warned that any child caught in the act of cultism, both the child and his parents would be punished according to the laws and called for prayers for the children and country, so that they would grow up to be better Nigerians.

Earlier, the children had called on parents, governments at all levels and all stakeholders charged with bringing up children to inculcate in them the culture of peace and security.

In Ogun, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun on Sunday distributed schools bags to all primary and secondary schools in the state, as part of the activities to mark the Children’s Day.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Ministry for Women Affairs has released 35 children for adoption between January and December 2011.

The Commissioner, Chief Betty Efekodha said in Asaba that the ministry had received 110 applications for adoption during the period.

Efekodha said that “scouting letters” had been issued to the prospective adoption parents.

She said that in 2007, the ministry had also released 28 children for adoption and another set of 18 children in 2008.

The commissioner said a Modern Children’s Home for abandoned and lost children would soon be inaugurated by the state government.

“Efforts are also being made towards re-unite the lost and abandoned children with their families; there are currently 10 of such children in the home’’, She added.

She said that the ministry in the last three years had organised annual holiday camp programme for children in Junior Secondary Schools in the state.

The commissioner said that the children were taught various skills including computer appreciation with a view to promoting skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among secondary school students in the state.