Miss Oyebinpe Olofin, an NYSC member serving in Kogi, has paid the school fees of 30 students and donated uniforms, 180 books and other writing materials to two schools in Lokoja.
Olofin made the donations on Saturday, at a ceremony organised by the Muslim Community Secondary School, Lokoja to mark this year’s Children’s Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the donations, which cost a total of N97,750, were made to students of the Muslim Community Secondary School and Crowther Memorial College, Lokoja as part of Olofin’s community service project.
“The gesture is to cushion the burden of parents and give the less privileged students opportunity to study,” she said.
Noting that every child is a star, she called for more investments on the youths, pointing out that society would reap massive benefits from such investments.
“If the society gives something to the child, the child will surely reciprocate such gesture with time,” she said.
The corps members urged wealthy Nigerians to invest in the future by caring for children, saying that a society that neglected its younger ones was toying with its future.
The Principal, Muslim Community Secondary School, Mr Yakubu Danladi, who described the gesture as “wonderful”, commended the corps member for the initiative.
He decried the neglect of the education sector by government and politicians, and blamed such neglect for the myriad of problems facing the Nigerian society.
“Most of the children who are supposed to be in school are on the streets because of various factors. Society must wake up and tackle the situation before it gets out of hand,” he said.
Also speaking, Mrs. Ngozi Nwantarali, NYSC Coordinator in Kogi, described the gesture as “timely, commendable and encouraging”.
“NYSC encourages community development service because it seeks to meet every community at its point of crucial need,” he said.
Two students, Liman Habibat and Abdulganiyu Abdulhamid, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the corps member for the assistance, and urged her colleagues to emulate the gesture. (NAN)
ASA/ETS