…As 17 children of late Police officers depart Nigeria
From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Founder and General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, has charged beneficiaries of OPM Scholarship Scheme not to engage in any activity that would cause distraction to their studies abroad.
He gave the charge when he addressed 17 children of Nigeria Police officers who died in active service, while departing Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to ESM University, Benin Republic, on Thursday.
Chinyere said: “Your fathers were good people. It is not easy to fight to protect a nation. Your fathers sacrificed their lives for this great country called Nigeria and they paid the price with their lives.
“And now, you are their children; you deserve something good. You are not meant to suffer. That is why, by the grace of God, OPM established this project ( scholarship) to give scholarship for thousands of Nigerians, especially to the children of fallen heroes. In everything, we give God the glory. I know wherever your fathers are, they will feel happy that all hope is not lost.
Chinyere charged: “I believe you are going to be successful. I want you to concentrate on your studies. Now, you are going into world. Avoid every form of distractions. Please, refuse to be distracted. Don’t allow worldy things to distract you. Don’t indulge in Yahoo-Yahoo; don’t indulge in partying. I want you to realize that you are in school to study and nothing else. No part time work should disrupt or affect your studies.”
Apostle Chinyere, who has been known for his humanitarian services, told them that the scholarship scheme covered only their tuition fees and accommodation from year one till graduation.
He added (though not part of the scholarship scheme) that they would be privileged to have free meal once a day at OPM Free Restaurant in the campus.
He explained: “So, this scholarship, it covers from your year one till you graduate. You are not going to pay school fees. OPM will pay the school fees. It also covers your accommodation. You will not pay accommodation till you graduate. OPM will do that. These are the two things the scholarship covers.
“This scholarship does not cover any other thing. But, I want to add one more thing to the scholarship which is, normally, it is not there in the scholarship scheme, that is free restaurant opened in the campus.
“The free restaurant is only for OPM scholarship students. There are other students in the university. But, that free restaurant is only for OPM scholarship students.
“I am trying to explain this to you so that you can hear and know about it well. At the OPM Free Restaurant, the feeding is once a day. There is no where in the world where you have free restaurant in the campus. That is an added privilege to the scholarship. Take note, it is not part of the scholarship.
“Clothing you is not part of the scholarship. Giving you pocket money is not part of the scholarship. Your families and guardians can do these ones for you.”
He, however, urged federal government to establish a fund to cater for the education needs of children of fallen heroes who died in defending the country, saying that it would boost the moral of security operatives in service.
Daily Sun gathered that the students were drawn from the 17 zones in the country irrespective of their sex, tribe and religion.
It would be noted that no fewer than 4,000 Nigerian undergraduates are on OPM scholarship studying in Turkey, Poland, London, United States of America, Cyprus and Benin Republic. At ESM University, Benin Republic alone, Chinyere has over 600 students on scholarship.