From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
A non-governmental organization, The Child’s Place of Plan Initiative (TCPPI), in partnership with the United States of America Embassy in Nigeria, has equipped and inaugurated three public school libraries in Ebonyi State. The three schools are Government Girls Technical School, Agba, in Ishielu Local Government Area, Comprehensive Secondary School, Oriuzor, in Ezza North LGA, and Government Secondary School, Okposi, in Ohaozara LGA.
The libraries were renovated, furnished and equipped with books to advance learning and the growth of reading culture in the schools.
National coordinator of the group, Ekene Mbam, stated that TCPPI focuses on revamping the educational sector of Nigeria through scholarships to indigent but brilliant students in public schools, provision of books and equipping of libraries to encourage reading culture among students.
He explained that benefitting schools were selected through a competition organized by TCPPI.
Mbam said: “These projects are the outcome of TCPPI’s 2019 programme targeted at rebuilding the future of young and vulnerable students in public schools by establishing a mini-library and equipping it, award of O’ Level scholarship to some students and presentation of textbooks, exercise books and writing materials to indigent but brilliant children selected via a competition exercise.
“The inter-schools competition among public schools across the 13 LGAs of Ebonyi State was successfully held, with the grand finale on October 4, 2019, at the Women Development Centre. The benefiting schools of these projects were selected based on their students’ performance in the competition.
“The first, second and third positions received an O’ Level scholarship for the period of three years, while their schools received an award of excellence and these projects that have been completed and we are here gathered for the commissioning.
“TCPPI as an NGO is focused on revamping the education sector of Nigeria hence raising intellectually-minded youths as change agents who will make an all-round lasting impact in our society. This vision is in tandem with the vision of the wife of the First Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Mrs. Ukamaka Egwu, through ‘The Children Vacation Initiative’ in 2004 that was aimed at raising the self-esteem of Ebonyi children and having them fully equipped and developed both socially, intellectually and psychologically to cope with the challenges of modern life as leaders of tomorrow. There is equally the need to reshape and refocus their orientation towards the right direction.”
He went down memory lane to explain how the NGO came to be. According to him, “In 2005, the president of TCPPI, Reuben Anoke, was in Junior Secondary 3 when an examination was conducted by the state government. He happened to emerge the best in his local government area. His outstanding performance took about 105 of them to Los Angeles, California, United States, under the umbrella of International Centre for Education and Youth Development (ICEYD) for leadership training and ultimately an O’ Level scholarship at the most prestigious secondary school in the state, Hope High British International.
“Today, Ambassador Anoke and others are giving back to the society through TCPPI in order to continue with Her Excellency’s vision. The body has carefully followed the same trajectory, which was focused on organizing inter-school competition among public schools in the 13 LGAs of the state and selecting the best for O’ Level scholarship award.”
He noted that the group, since inception, has recorded numerous successes, some of which include award of O’Level scholarship to about 20 indigent students, ranging from N20,000 per session for three years to training of 15 secondary school graduates in different skills such as tailoring, electrical wiring, plumbing, carpentry, building and ICT.
He added that the organization has also paid for tution and hostel accommodation for some students at the university level, engaged in the distribution of textbooks and exercise books to about 1,000 students across the nation and has established libraries in two public schools outside Ebonyi State, namely, National College, Gboko, Benue State, and Bilabiri Community Secondary School, Ekelebor, Bayelsa State.
Explaining further, he said: “The best students from each LGA and the best three overall were awarded an O’ Level scholarship, while others went home with consolation prizes. The best three schools received the award to equip or establish libraries at their schools, which is supported by the United States through her embassy in Abuja. We also presented to the public 13 ambassadors representing the 13 LGAs of the state. The target is to train them in ICT to enable us to train about 10,000 students in Ebonyi State in the next five years. We are very much determined in revamping the education sector of Nigeria and we have started doing certain things that will serve as foundation towards the actualization of such a dream.”
Principal of one of the beneficiaries, Government Secondary School, Okposi, Titus Ogbu, appreciated TCPPI for the gesture, promising, on behalf of the management and students of the school, to make effective use of the library.