The dividends of education in Edo State can out-rightly be seen through the commitment of the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, as some residents of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, located at the International Christian Centre, Home for the Needy, Uhogua Camp in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, graduating with a First Class distinction from their various schools.
Recently, members of the IDP camp rolled out their drums as they celebrated the First Class holders as well as others who rounded off their programmes in the acquisition of an academic degree, all from different universities.
The camp, run by the International Christian Centre, Uhogua Camp, is located at No 45, Umamwen Street, Uhogua in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to the founder, Pastor Solomon Foloronsho, is a home for the destitute, orphans and the homeless was founded in 1992 by the International Christian Center for Mission.
Furthermore, over 3,000 persons including widows, women, men and youths from the various ethnicities in the country have adopted the IDP camp as home.
Meanwhile, a Borno State indigene who graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Benin, Rufikatu Ali, revealed that her desire to study law was as a result of the oppression and injustice being melted on the vulnerable ones in our society. She also promised to use her status in protecting their rights in the society.
Also expressing gratitude and joy, Amos Ishaku, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Edo State University, Iyamho, extolled the founder, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, wholeheartedly.
Ishaku, who adopted the IDP camp in 2014 as a Boko Haram escapee, offered thanks to the pastor for providing a clean slate as well as the right atmosphere to turn a new leaf and give back to his society.
Reacting to this, the founder and pioneer of the camp, Pastor Solomon Foloronsho, expressed his excitement on the academic feat achieved by the students, noting, “We are very excited seeing what is happening here. Today’s ashes are becoming very beautiful.”
However, the pastor took out time to solicit for support in payment of the students’ school fees. Some of the students are unable to take part in the university ongoing examination due to the management’s inability to pay up the school dues, according to him.
“We need urgent support especially in paying the school fees of those that are in schools, and some of the schools are not allowing them to write exams right now because they could not afford to pay. We have some of them studying courses such as Medicine, Law, Business Administration and others courses,” he said.
He further noted, “These are children who have no hope before and now have gotten good education and they want to pursue their education so that they can earn a living for themselves and even better this country.”
Also, the pastor lamented the increasing difficulty the camp has been experiencing in the provision of food and consumable items to its inhabitants due to the economic debacle that has crippled the nation. He explained that this has motivated the management team to seek help externally, as “the situation is really very critical. The food situation is number one. We don’t have food at all and food is getting so expensive and even the donors themselves are crying with the way things are in the country. The children are very, very hungry.”
He urged the good people of Nigeria and the government at all levels to help wipe away hunger from the stomach and faces of the thousands of internally displaced persons in the camp, and also extend their intervention to the supply of medicals, among others.
