VP Professor Yemi Osinbajo
The Presidency has received 18 children who emerged champions of an education competition in the various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in three North Eastern states ravaged by insurgency.
The children emerged from 3,397 entries in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, as presented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on IDPs, Dr Mariam Masha, on Monday.
At a reception in the office of the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the children demonstrated their skills in fine arts and essay writing.
The Vice President who expressed gratitude with the vision of the children urged them not to despair as the federal government would ensure that they attained their academic goals without interruption.
“The government is definitely committed to ensuring that you get free education.
“So we are going to work on that as diligently as we can to ensure that we give you the best possible education.
“We have been doing a lot of work to set up special schools that have all the facilities,” he assured them.
As stated by Osinbajo, there are plans to establish an integrated learning centre where young children can live and learn.
He also described the children as special breed and urged them to work hard for their future benefits.
“You are all very important, and I must congratulate you for winning the competition.
“If you continue to work very hard and you act honestly, tell the truth and you obey the elders and teachers you will do very well in any career of your choice,” he stated.
Osinbajo noted that the sky was the limit for those who wished to be lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, technology experts, power experts but added that the choice required a lot of hard work.
He stated he was sure that the children would achieve everything that they set for themselves.
“But we are going to make sure that we keep you in our thoughts all the time so that you can achieve all that you want to achieve,” Osinbajo stated.
The Vice President also prayed that God will help the children to become great Nigerian citizens.
Osinbajo stated the government would fine tune the competition and expand the scope to find other creative ways of providing mentorship for other children.
He noted that there could be many children with great ideas in the IDP camps.
Dr Masha had stated that the competition was meant for children who were affected by the conflict in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
“We decided to look at the children who were going to school in the camps as well as children in host communities who are also receiving education.”
Masha stated the competition was on how education could protect the children’s future.
She added that it also encouraged arts, so the children could express themselves by drawing and also drama for those who could neither read nor write.
“A total of 3,397 children participated in this comprising, 812 from Yobe, 1,230 from Adamawa and 1,337 from Borno,” she stated.
Masha also stated it was fascinating having the children working in their states to produce the advocacy video on the importance of education.
.....