"Back To School" Project Designed To give Succour To The Vulnerable... Rev. Eyoanwan Otu
By Hannah ARIKPO
The wife of the Cross River State Governor, Rev. Eyoanwan Bassey Otu says her Back- to - School pet project is geared towards providing quality education to the vulnerable in the society.
The Governor's wife disclosed this while flagging off the ‘Back-to-school’ project, through her Humanity Without Borders (HUWIB) initiative at the refugee settlement camp, Adagom in Ogoja local government area.
She identified education as one of the most valuable investments that the State must make to bring about lasting and productive change for the future generation.
“The greatness of every child and the greatness of Cross River State and Nigeria as a whole is hinged on the quality of Education that our children receive and the ease with which the child has access to education.” Gov's wife explained.
According to her, the choice of flagging off the back-to-school project in a refugee school cannot be over-emphasised as the plight of displaced persons attracts empathy.
“Refugees are considered from my view, one of the most vulnerable in our society,” she added.
The first lady commended the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for their efforts and expressed commitment to ensure that children who find themselves at the camp receive quality education, “I am aware of UNHCR educational mandate which serves as one of the major protection pillars in providing support to both refugees and the host communities like Adagom, Ukende and many other areas where UNHCR operations exist.”
The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Stephen Odey who described the Governor’s wife as a lover of education, inferred that the Back to School intervention is the beginning of a new dawn in the state.
According to him, the flag-off is one of the most powerful events so far in the history of the present administration, stating that the initiative is a precedence for all well-meaning Nigerians and Cross Riverians to follow and pledged his ministry's utmost support to enable the Governor's wife to succeed.
In separate remarks, the Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Agnes Atsu; Commissioner for Information Technology, Dr. Justin Beshel; Commissioner for Industry, Dr. Unimke Marcellinus Angioha; Commissioner for Commerce, Hon. Abigail Duke; and Commissioner for Housing, Dr. Beatrice Igwe, lauded the initiative by the Governor’s wife, describing it as the best form of democratic dividend.
They explained that the initiative resonates love, compassion and humanity, pledging the support of their various offices in ensuring that the back-to-school project is sustained.
Earlier, the Senior Special Adviser Administration, Office of Wife of the Governor, Dr. comfort Oko, informed that the intervention is one of the pillars of the Governor’s wife, whose passion is touching lives and changing destinies, adding that “she understands what education means, she understands what lack of education can cause for a child, this is a community that is vulnerable and her excellency has come to render a helping hand and is calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to lend a hand,” she said.
The Chairperson of Adagom 1 Settlement, Madam Bibiana Ngwa appreciated the people of Cross River State, particularly the Adagom people for hosting them as refugees acknowledging that the lives of refugees exert a huge force of change in the normalcy of the people.
She appealed for assistance in livelihood development, education, self-reliance, shelter, water and sanitation hygiene and health pledging the readiness of the refugees to be law abiding and as well cooperate with the Cross River State Government.
On his part, the Director SATWO Foundation School, Ogoja expressed delight at the initiative, informing that the project is a demonstration of love that cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
He solicited for financial assistance to settle the volunteer teachers at the foundation as well as to help sustain the educational needs of the people.
