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It was pomp and pageantry at the Tender Heart Orphanage Home in Benin City, the Edo State Capital on Saturday as old students of Niger College, Benin City under the aegis of LikeMinds of Niger College Class of 1992 took Christmas early to them.
The group, which was led by its President, Mr. Thompson Ukpebor, presented food items and scholarship awards to 5 occupants of the Home.
Prior to the visit, the Director of Special Duties of the Association, Mr. Rufus Ogegbu interfaced severally with the CEO/founder, Mrs. Meg Eduwu-Hassan Nee Ize-Iyamu, who expressed gratitude for the group’s decision to visit the Home.
Speaking at the presentation, Mr. Ukpebor who was accompanied by some members of the executive committee and other members of the association expressed appreciation to the management of the Home for their care and support for the children.
He said the children will indeed make everyone proud in the near future, adding that he came to that conclusion by the decorum maintained by them and the very intelligent interactions he had with some of them.
He further stated that 5 recipients of the scholarship are current students of Niger College. He said the gesture is part of the “Giving Back” objective of the association.
Mr. Ukpebor said whatever they (old students) are today, has a lot to do with their foundation and one of the moulders of that foundation is Niger College, hence, they refer it as their root.
Responding, a representative of the CEO/founder of the Home thanked the association for the kind gesture and assured them that every child will have a taste of the food items to their fill as is customarily done because they all live as one indivisible family. She re-iterated that every child in the Home is special and they live like blood relatives.
She rounded up her appreciation with prayers for the association and the children were ready audience to affirm the prayers with thunderous ‘Amen’.
Addressing TNG correspondent after the presentation, Mr. Ukpebor said the group is made up of former students of Niger College who graduated in 1992.
He stressed that all members of the association are of “like minds” who think alike and act alike, hence, the name.
“In other words, you have to align with the aims and objectives of the association and accept the norms and tenets for you to be inducted,” Ukpebor said.
He stated that some of the objectives of the association include improving the educational standard of students of Niger College, community service and members’ welfare to mention but a few.
He also said that the visit to the orphanage was the association’s second project of 2020. The first project was the presentation of palliatives to members of the association who were affected by the ravaging Cororavirus pandemic earlier in the year.
He used the opportunity to thank all members of the group who put the resources together to facilitate both projects.
Members of the association are spread across the world and are committed to giving back to their root.
He said it was part of his commitment to the group’s noble cause that necessitated his journey from Lagos to Benin for the visit.
He did not fail to state also that, all members present had to sacrifice their time to be at the Tender Heart Orphanage as part of what they believe in.
He urged the Niger College students and other students in the Home to be good ambassadors and stay focussed so as to be greater than them when they get to their stage in life.
In attendance at the visit were: Thompson Ukpebor (President), Rufus Ogegbu (Director of Special Duties), Roland Igbinedion (Director of Welfare), Olaniyi Ojo and Solomon Igiede. Others were Orobosa Aganmwonyi and Efosa Humphrey Aigbe.