Let’s Keep Nigerian Children Safe, Says Osinbajo’s Wife

Peace Obi

The wife of the Vice-President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, has called on all Nigerians to rise to the challenge of ensuring that children are safe from every form of harm or molestation as they grow and seek education.
She said it has become pertinent for all to join forces to improve children’s safety because parents can no longer keep them safe like they used to.

Osinbajo, who was the guest of honour/speaker at the 20th founder, speech and prize-giving ceremony of the Redeemer’s International Secondary School, Lagos recently, said children are very precious and it is a wonder and delight to watch them grow, but painful to lose them.

“My plea is for us to keep the children safe. My fear is that we can no longer keep them safe the way we used to. I was with 21 of the Chibok girls that were rescued recently, if only you have looked into the eye of a mother who has lost a child, if only you had seen the pain, the grief, the anger and anguish in their eyes; the hopelessness and shame, then you will know that we can’t help it anymore, we must save the children.

“I don’t think anyone could fault their parents for sending them to school to get an education. I don’t think anyone could fault the children for being in school trying to get an education. They were not in the wrong place, they were not out at night, they were not found in a place where they were not expected to be, yet they were not safe. My plea is that it is our collective responsibility now to keep the children safe. The children we speak of are not only ours but all the children.”

Deliberating on the theme, ‘God our Sufficiency’, the guest speaker said the youth must be encouraged to embrace the Holy Spirit because they live in a new world, where they do not only compete with their peers within their communities, but against their counterparts all over the world.

Urging the students to distinguish themselves in whatever they do, she said, “surely, everyone has something that God has given them as a talent or as a gift. But surely, you are not the only one with that talent or that gift. You must distinguish yourself and our sufficiency is of God and it is not of us.”

Congratulating the school on its 20th anniversary, she said it has continued to provide an exemplary standard of education and godly values to its students since 1997. “I salute the dedication of the principal and staff of RISS. To the students both past and present, I say God speed and good success in Jesus name.”

In her congratulatory message, the Chairperson, Christ the Redeemer’s Schools Management, FoluAdeboye, thanked God for innumerable blessings and exceptional performances of RISS students in national and international examinations, scholarship awards among others.

“We thank you for running with the vision to prepare a people for the lord and we thank God for what He is doing to perfect the vision. We would like to thank you for being a change agent of Nigerian citizenship in producing professionals with integrity, evangelists, teachers and preachers that will continue to carry the light until Jesus comes.”

The Principal, Mrs. FeyisaraOsinupebi, who was visibly excited, told THISDAY that it has been 20 years of moulding the lives of a chosen generation. “God has moved us from glory to glory. He has given us what we thought were impossible. He has given us children who have done excellently well in their academics and life generally. We have had and continue to have children who have gone to prestigious universities on full scholarship.”

Osinupebi advised Nigerian children to “be that one person that will decide to do the best and the right thing that will be beneficial to the society. Challenge yourselves and be the best you can.”

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