Wale Jagun & Mariam Akinloye
-School administrators, teachers, students commend gesture
The representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Rep. Babajimi Adegoke Benson, on Thursday, continued with his educational support initiative to his constituents as he distributed 75, 000 exercise books to about 25 primary schools in the six Council and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in his constituency.
The three – term lawmaker has facilitated the construction of blocks of classrooms to many schools, equipped three ICT centres in three schools, distributed textbooks across the constituency, facilitated admission for many constituents into model colleges among other interventions in the educational sector over the years.
The exercise books were given to the students in line with the Back to School project of the iCare Foundation to support their academic success in the new term and to provide relief to their parents.
The distribution, which was welcomed and highly commended, was carried out by different teams of iCare Foundation members, the Rep. Benson’s operational team, in the six councils in lkorodu division.
In Ikorodu Local Government, where Mrs Odumbo Monsurat Adebisi led the team that represented the lawmaker who is the Chairman, House Committee on Defense, Anglican Primary School, Ikorodu; Holy Trinity Primary School, Ikorodu; Community Primary School, Mowo-Nla; African Bethel Primary School, Ikorodu; Ijomu Muslim Primary School, Ikorodu and Jamaitul Islamiyyah Primary School, Ikorodu, were covered in the distribution exercise.
Also covered are Agodo Alara Community Primary School in Odogunyan; Anglican Primary School, Akanun; and Lambo Lasunwon Community Primary School, Okegbegun in Ikorodu North LCDA, and LG Primary School in Baiyeku; LG Primary School in Oreta; Anglican Primary School in Offin; and Owode Primary School in Ibelefun in Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA.
The team that covered the distributions of the exercise books in Ijede LCDA, visited Anglican Primary School, Ijede; A.U.I Primary School, Ijede and Community Primary School, Abule-Eko, while the team in Imota LCDA, were in U.N.A Primary School, Oke-Agbo; LG Primary School, Imota; St. John Anglican Primary School, Imota, and Abejoye Primary School, Igbokuta.
At Ikorodu West LCDA, exercise books were distributed to Anglican Primary School, Isawo; Togedejoye Primary School, and Ojokoro LG Primary School in Majidun.
Representative of Rep.. Benson, Mrs Odumbo Monsurat, speaking with THE IMPACT, said that the distribution exercise was part of the lawmaker’s support for his constituency.
She stated that the exercise books will assist the pupils in focusing on their education and relief their parents.
“This is part of our outreach programmes. This time last year, we did a medical outreach during which we reached out to many residents of Ikorodu Federal Constituency and we have also had many programmes this year. It is a matter of continuing our agenda of impacting on the masses. So, this time around, we chose to extend our gestures to the primary schools for them to feel the impact and support of our federal representative for their education”, she said.
“We have been giving to parents in terms of road construction, hospitals, markets, but we also see the need to give to the pupils directly so that they too will know and develop the spirit of giving when they grow up.
“This will impact seriously on their education. We all know the situation in the country and there are many in the country that cannot afford to buy exercise books and biro for their children. This will affect them positively
“It will make them a bit comfortable because we can’t do it all and this is just to cushion the effects of the economy and it will go a long way to assist them in developing in their educational career”, Mrs Odumbo said.
Speaking on Rep. Benson’s gesture, Mrs Alatileyin Olufunmilayo, Head teacher, Holy Trinity Primary School, Ikorodu, expressed her happiness at the distribution of exercise books to her pupils.
“We are very happy to see them. We have been eager to see them, because I wrote a letter to him (Rep. Benson) that we need a lot of things concerning our pupils, and we are really appreciative that we are seeing them today. I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to be with him”, she said.
“He is a good father and wonderful representative.
“This will go a long way in assisting the pupils, because as the head teacher, I have been giving out a lot of exercise books since many of them do not have any writing material. I have to give them because we cannot send them out. Our teachers are also doing a lot in this regard”, she added.
The head teacher charged other political office holders and privileged individuals and groups to emulate Rep. Benson in supporting pupils and education generally.
Mrs Shokunbi Nurat Temitope, Head Teacher, Anglican Primary School, Ikorodu, also expressed her appreciation for the support of the lawmaker.
“I feel very grateful and happy about this gesture, that he is extending to the pupils with these exercise books. I do call the parents most times that they should buy exercise books for their children and I do buy for them when they are not forthcoming. Thanks to Hon. Babajimi Benson”, she said.
“This will surely impact very well because some these pupils don’t have exercise books for some subjects and with these gesture, they will be able to write lessons in their classes and they will also be able to read when they get back to their various homes. By extension, they will be able to do their assignments and remember what they were taught in their classes.
The Head Teacher, African Bethel Primary School, Ikorodu, Mrs Adenekan Adebunmi Arike, also commenting when the team visited her school, said:
“We are very proud of him, and we pray that God will continue to elevate him and spare his life so that he can continue to grow and assume bigger responsibilities”, she said.
“This gesture is going to impact on the pupils, because some of them do not have writing materials. As you can see, the big note is very cost now, they will make use of it and it will enhance the teaching too.
“My advice to all our leaders is that they should cultivate the habit of helping the masses, children, so that education will be easy.
“We also want to implore Hon. Babajimi Benson to help us build our building here so that the pupils will have more space”, she pleaded.
