The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi on Monday said parents who keep their school-age children out of school run the risk of being prosecuted.

Fayemi who spoke in Eporo during an enrolment sensitisation campaign, called on all parents and guardians to key into his administration’s free education programme.

The governor, stressed that the state’s Child Rights Law provided that all children must be given access to education, adding that acting contrary to this was unlawful.

The Ekiti government had last week commenced the school enrolment campaign aimed at ensuring that all school-age children register for the forthcoming 2019/2020 academic session.

The governor said that it was an abuse of a child’s right for any parent or guardian to deny school-age children the opportunity to go to school under any guise

He said the state government was currently providing free but quality education which parents must embrace to build a solid foundation for their children and wards.

“We have a Child Rights Act in Ekiti which prohibits parents from disallowing children of school age to be out of school during school session.

“If your child is not in school when the school is in session, you have a lot to explain because we will apprehend the child whether he is found hawking on the street or engaging in any illicit activities which prevent him or her from being in school.

“The parents will also have to explain to the government or the relevant institutions why that child is not in school.

“In implementing the law, we have a family court in the state that takes responsibility for children that are not in school and parents who fail in their responsibility,’’ Fayemi said.