By Seyifunmi Odunuga
In continued efforts to reduce the number of out of school children in Nigeria especially in the Niger/Delta region, and part of activities marking this year’s Children Day Celebration by a faith based organization, Omega Power Ministry has partnered with two popular schools in Port Harcourt to admit about 100 pupils that could not be admitted to the OPM Free Schools Scheme.
This development was due to the influx of pupils seeking for admission into the 15 OPM free schools that have now over populated; the General Overseer of ministries (OPM) Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere has secured the partnership and sent the children to those schools at his own expense.
The Man of God who has dubbed as an ICON of free Education has demonstrated a man with heart of Gold again according to some stakeholders in Rivers State that are commending the clergy while reacting to the development saying “ordinarily he should have told the children to go because OPM free schools are too populated to accept pupils again, but he considered the option of partnering with Chivans Academy and Chistell Montessori Int’l Schools in Port Harcourt to enable these pupils to go to school”.
A statement issued by the church stated that: “all their school fees in Chivans Academy and Chistell Montessori Int’l School have been paid and the church will continue to pay. In OPM tithe and offering is not meant to enrich the man of God. He used tithe and offering to uplift the lives of the poor and less privileged to the Glory of God”.
While reacting on the development, the commissioner for education in River State, Dr. Kaniye Ebeku, a Professor of Law and pioneer Dean, Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt, lauded Apostle Chinyere who he claimed has been working assiduously over the years to reduce the number of out of school children in Nigeria.
“His humanitarian assistance in this regard has stemmed the tide of youth restiveness in the Niger/Delta region. He has been in the forefront of offering assistance to the poor, orphans and the less privileged, this is a commendable and respectable feat by the Man of God”, said Dr. Ebeku.