From Okwe Obi, Abuja

No fewer than 250 indigent students from 88 secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have been freely registered for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE). The gesture came from the lead pastor of Glory Bible Church, Isaac Komolafe, yesterday, in Abuja.

Komolafe, who is also the chief executive officer of Christian Centre for Mission Family and Leadership and Development, explained that poverty should not be the reason brilliant minds mill around while their contemporaries do exploits across the world.

The cleric, who handed over the cheques to the parents and guardians of the students, said it was time for churches to pick up academic bills of students, especially indigent ones, to go to school.

He announced that the church would still shoulder the financial responsibility of those who pass their SSCE, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination, and secure admission into federal universities.

He said: “As a church, we believe that we should impact our community. We want to do church differently. What you find is that churches enter into communities and all that the people know them for is prayer, vigil, loudspeaker. They are all good. But there are poor people around you.

“We are in Abuja. It is the Federal Capital Territory, yet we have poor people. That is why we said we should help.

“Education is a leveller. When you are educated, there is no height anybody has reached you cannot reach. Also, we know that some poor people, like myself from a poor background, need some lifting. They are indigent but brilliant. Can we give them support?

“We also know that WAEC is a gateway examination. No matter how brilliant you may be, if you do not write your examination, you cannot move forward.

“This is a strategic move for us as a church and our NGO. Because we want to ensure that these young people with future do not go to waste. The fact that they are poor should not be a hindrance to achieving their aims in life.

“We do not discriminate against people because of where they come from. We are serving humanity regardless of the community you belong to.

“Today, we empowered 250 indigent students from 88 secondary schools across the six area councils of the FCT.

“We got their contacts from the secondary school management board through the principals of these schools. And that is why you can see almost all the principals are here.

“We spent over N8 million. The money did not come from my pocket; it came from people who share our vision. So, we have been doing the little we could do, little by little, but we believe we can do more when we have more people to support.”

He added: “We are looking forward to their WAEC results. When they do very well, we are looking up to God to support them more.

“As many that are able to pass their examination, write their JAMB and get admission into federal universities, we will be willing to support them.”

Some of the schools are Government Girls Secondary School, Abaji; Govt. Sec. Sch, Pandagi; Gov. Sec. Sch, Apo; Govt. Sec. Sch, Bwari; Govt. Sec. Sch, Shere; Govt. Sec. Sch, Dei-Dei; Govt. Sec. Sch, Yangoji; Govt. Sec. Sch., Yaba; and Govt. Sec. Sch., Dobi, among others.