By Aramide Oikelome Snr Correspodent, Lagos
It was a day mixed with tears of joy and regrets for many widows as they recalled with pain the day their breadwinners were gruesomely murdered in the melee that is systematically destabilising the crisis-ridden northern part of Nigeria.
Similar tales can be told of how many graduating students who hail from the north saw their widowed mothers quietly seated in the absence of their lovely fathers.
However, their joy was partly fulfilled as they saw themselves wearing graduation gowns. Many of them could not believed it, as they would have concluded that their hope of realising their cherished dream through education would have been dashed.
But, their sorrow soon evaporated as they found solace in a Christian organisation, Voice of Christian Martyrs, which for more a decade has been promoting the cause of the downtrodden in Nigeria, particularly the children of the persecuted Christian.
VOM, which is based in Lagos, with its tentacles spread across the length and breadth of the country, is unrelentlessly devoted to the plight children.
Nothing can be more thrilling for both the graduands, who are orphans and their widowed mothers to witness who is who in Nigeria, on the graduation day of their children in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, where Stephen’s Home is situated.
The day graced by representatives of Ogun State Government; President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who also doubled as the Father of the Day. For the sake of the children and the significance of the day, flew in from abroad.
Others, who witnessed the memorable event, included representatives of Voice of Christian Martyrs in the Northern and Middle Belt States; Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Zone, Archbishop Magnus Atilade; Chairman, CAN, Abeokuta, and many dignitaries across the country too numerous to mention.
The reason for the unprecedented list of dignitaries is not far-fetched: to see the organisation that has taken grief and sorrow away from the heart of the children who became orphans or fatherless overnight as a result of the activities of religious fanatics and terrorists and put eternal joy in the heart of the children and smile on their faces by offering them scholarship from nursery to university education. The children will live to remember this.
For the children, it was a moment that they would miss their friends with whom they have been living together for the past years. But in the case of their parents, it was a day that reminded them how their spouses were brutally murdered by members of the Boko Haram sect.
Fielding questions from journalists, one of the widows from the North whose son graduated, Mrs Raheela Adamu, narrated the ordeal how her husband was killed in Kaduna State in year 2000, during the Sharia crises that engulfed the state where innumerable lives were lost and properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
Late Joseph Adamu, according to her, was burnt alive with his younger brother in their house after she has gone out to fetch the children in the school.
Consequently, according to her narration, the remaining members of the family – herself and the children were rendered homeless.
She said she came in contact with Stephen’s Home through one of her friends and thereafter decided to bring two of her children for free education in the home.
Joshua Dasong, one of the graduating students, who hails from Plateau State, said he lost his father in 2001 during a religious crisis.
He recalled: “Although I was still a child then, but my mother told me that during the crisis, my dad went out to settle a quarrel for some people and he never returned home because he was killed in the process.”
According to him, he joined the centre two years ago, adding that his interesting experience has been of tremendous benefit to him because, in his words, he learnt from other children in the school, who had various tales and made new friends.
He added further that he also learnt new ideas and culture of other children from other states who also lost one or both parents in the crises.
In his speech, the Chairman of the event, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), submitted that the event reminded him that in spite of the ugly experiences the church of Christ is currently facing in the country, it shall overcome it. He said Christians in the North and the Middle Belt shall emerge triumphant from their present travails and difficulties.
The CAN boss said: “I am encouraged that as God in His mercy has sent help to these children, so shall God send help to all Christian brethren in the north and to the entire body of Christ in Nigeria.”
He described the unwarranted attacks against Christians in the northern parts as well as destruction of Christian places of worship and assault of Christian communities as serious distress for everyone.
Oritsejafor therefore called on leaders of northern extraction to unite and assist the government to fight Boko Haram to stand still.
He stated further that the security agencies should be magnanimous enough to “fish out” Boko Haram allies among its ranks and files whose primary duty is to defend the nation, lives and property.
The cleric, who viewed such individuals as threats to government’s plan, postulated that such people should not be made to occupy sensitive positions in the country’s security outfit.
Also, he urged people not to relent in their prayers for the country for God to conquer the enemies of the country and restore peace.
“My heart goes out to mothers who are here today, I feel the pains that you feel and I wish to assure you that Christian Association of Nigeria is solidly behind you.
“Everyday, we are working harder to solve these problems and also to support you in more meaningful terms”, he said.
While appreciating the bravery of the country’s Armed Forces, the CAN president, who said there is need for more intelligent gathering in order to be able to fight the insurgents successfully, however admonished graduating students to shun ungodly character and live a life worthy of emulation.
“I wish to congratulate all my children, whom God has granted opportunity to receive free education and free care at the Stephen’s Children Home.
You are highly favoured and blessed. I encourage you to reciprocate by striving to excel in academics as you proceed to tertiary institutions”, he said.
On the yet-to-be rescued Chibok girls after more than 100 days, he said, “I’m an optimist in life; I want to believe that we will still see these girls. How it’s going to happen, I cannot give you details because I’m not a security agent.
“I’m more than encouraged with what I saw here today. Stephen’s Centre can be a home many more can run to find refuge.”
So far, the Home, which has become a haven for many Christian children from the north who lost their parents to religious bigotry, graduated 14 of such children, aside those who graduated from primary to secondary or nursery to primary. They will pursue their higher education in the next academic session.
According to the National Coordinator, VOM, Rev. Isaac Newton-Wusu, the home was instituted in year 2000, after the Sharia war in Kaduna State that claimed thousands of lives and property.
Excluding other children from the normal homes in Abeokuta metropolis, the national coordinator said the home is currently hosting 424 children from the north who lost their parents to religious crises and Boko Haram murderous activities.
Many of the students who graduated from the school some years back are currently studying in different higher institutions of learning in the country.
Rev. Wusu, who was beaming with life, joy and fulfillment seeing the children graduating to pursue their dream life, was full of gratitutde to God and the “dedicated workers” while urging everyone not to attribute the success of the school to his effort alone.
“There is no heroic story here. The workers who take care of these children of the widows from the North are my heroes and heroines. Don’t attribute everything to me; I’m just one single person. I can’t do everything.
“In time past, the challenge was how to get fund to feed the children but today, I can tell you that the more the children increase in number the less problem we have.
“The children feed well than before and the teachers are really working hard,” Wusu said.
Wusu observed with concern recently in Lagos that religious attacks on churches have continued to assume different dimension as religious fanatics tagged in different names have continued to lay siege on the churches in Northern part of the country.
He called on Federal Government to do more to secure the lives of the governed while regretting the continued stay of Chibok girls in the captivity of Boko Haram after more than 100 days.
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