Don't End Up Fighting Unworthy Cause - Stephen Children Home Tells Old Students

ABEOKUTA - Parents and Students of Stephen Children Home in Abeokuta, Ogun State have called on some alumni of the school to desist from any activities that may truncate the growth of their Alma mata. 

It would be recalled that, some old students of the centre had dragged the Director of the school, Mr. Isaac Newton-Wusu before an High Court in Ogun State on a five-count charge bothering on attempt rape, rape, indecent assault, 

But the parents who spoke with journalists at a press conference in Abeokuta at the early hours on Wednesday expressed sadness at the prosecution of the Director.

They argued that the arraignment was a plot by some alumni of the home was to destroy the home which they benefited from as well as the future of the current inmates of the home.

The mothers who were mostly widows and came from the Northern part of the country, described the action as nefarious activities and campaign against the home, expressing bittereness and sadness, insisting that the forces want the closure of the home.

Parents and students of Stephen Home in joint protest in Abeokuta on Wednesday

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Mrs. Jummai Leawat told journalists that the past students were being used by some unknown elements to close down the home. 

She added that the current activities have affected the home in diverse ways, revealing that some of the children have lost their scholarships to the "evil activities" of the forces.

Leawat explained that, the current challenges made it difficult for the home to cater for the basic needs of the students, stressing that the mothers now have to solicit for funds to help the home.

According to her, whenever the students came for holidays, they always report how they were well catered for without any report of abuse or molestation. 

Her words: "Our hearts are filled with bitterness and sadness on hearing the cries of our children about their home gradually being destroyed by their past senior students who have sold their hearts for greed and selfish gain and have been campaigning for the closure of the home that served them and others for 19 years".

"These campaigns post a great thread on the future of our children and have adversely affected the children in diverse way. Many of our children have lost their scholarships because of these evil activities. Some of them that were not opportune to return back to school have been seen on different occasions doing hard jobs and street hawking to fend for themselves as they have no one to provide for them again", she stated.

The students of the home protesting in Abeokuta on Wednesday

She continued, " It is so disheartening that some of the widows whose children benefited and have benefited and have completed their studies in the home can join forces against the home. Every attack on the Stephens Children home is a direct attack on the future of our children ".

Leawat therefore called on the past students of the home to stop what he described as " evil business" on the home, saying that the activities remind them of the past and hurt their healed wounds.

She urged the past students to leave their children out of their nefarious activities and face their businesses, insisting "Please, leave our children alone and face your own business. They have equal right to be educated as you (past students). Leave them alone".

Leawat however appealed to people of goodwill not to relent in helping the children to build their future, appealing to them to save the home and the current inmates future.

Speaking on behalf of the students, David Sarah, an SS 2 student who came into the home in 2009 from Plateau State, said the home is their heaven on earth.

She disclosed that the home has avail her access to quality education, insisting that she has received everything with love and care in the home.

"This is home is my heaven on earth since I came here in 2009. The home has given me everything I want since I was brought here when my father died. They gave me free education, free feeding and free clothing".

Also, Achenege Aaron, an SS3 student of the school from Kogi state, said their past students are just fighting for unworthy cause, saying the home have been treating them well.