Christian charity donates classrooms to FCT

The non-profit organisation had constructed two blocks of three classrooms, a block of toilets, a play ground and provided furniture for the Durumi LEA Primary School, with financial support from the Japanese embassy in Nigeria. Durumi, a hill-lock settlement, though only about five kilometres away from the ever-bustling Mpape, a squatter settlement at the fringe […]

The non-profit organisation had constructed two blocks of three classrooms, a block of toilets, a play ground and provided furniture for the Durumi LEA Primary School, with financial support from the Japanese embassy in Nigeria.

Durumi, a hill-lock settlement, though only about five kilometres away from the ever-bustling Mpape, a squatter settlement at the fringe of Nigeria’s Seat of Power, Abuja is far away from modern day life.

The place has a dusty winding road through the feet of the surrounding hills. The unpaved road is replete with gullies and holes making driving to the village quite a herculean task. In fact, not all vehicles can reach Durumi.

Though a construction firm with a quarry near the village had covered some parts of the road with chippings, the roughness of the road is still greatly felt.

But the people in this place felt the big presence of God when many senior government officials and diplomats were there for the unveiling of the new buildings.

Before the buildings were opened for use, the founder of Tabitha Cumi Foundation, enthusiastically said sowing God’s words among the people would be more meaningful if it was done with full attention to the daily needs of the people.

She said the foundation aspires to be like the biblical Tabitha who was so nice that when she died, the Jews wept profusely until Jesus came and raised her from the dead.

She left the podium with the philosophical saying that says, “…he who opens a school door closes a prison gate.”

Member House of Representative, AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, Philip Aduda, thanked the organisation and the Japanese embassy for the initiative and appealed to others to do same, stressing that child’s education is asset to the society.

He prayed God to empower Japan and for a robust relationship between the two countries.

Deputy Head of Mission of the Japanese Embassy, Mr Shigeru Hamano described the hand over as “wonderful”.  He said the projects were gifts from the people of Japan to the people of Nigeria stressing that Japan would continue to work with Nigeria for more development.

Executive Chairman of Bwari Area Council, Mr Isa Dara said the donation had thrown a challenge to the local authorities. He promised that infrastructure like water, roads, electricity would be extended to the place. He promised to build a wall round the school.

Secretary for Education, Education Secretariat, FCT Administration (FCTA) Alhaji Hussaini Halilu Pai represented by the chairman, FCT UBE Unit, Alhaji Musa maikasuwa Yakubu highlighted the basic problem in the FCT.

He said heavy influx of people to the territory daily has led to large population of students/pupils which has resulted in overstretching of school facilities in the centre of Abuja and the adjoining settlements. He thanked the government of Japan for the donation.

The local chief, Esu Ibrahim Jarumi Shakpara who was filled with joy went into singing and dancing after thanking the Christian body and the Japanese authorities. He bestowed the traditional honour of the Friend of Durumi on the Deputy Head of Mission of the Japanese Embassy.

Both men danced together and the diplomat was draped in the blue Gbagi traditional cloth.

The head teacher of the school, Mrs Charity Audu was simply overwhelmed with joy. Before saying the closing prayers, she thanked the Christian organisation saying, “There are no words to qualify this.”

High point of the occasion was the unveiling of the commemorative inscription on the wall of one of the two classroom blocks by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Japanese Embassy.

Before this donation, the school had one UBEB block of two classrooms and one community-donated block of two classrooms. The entire school had nothing like toilet.

On September 10 2009, the Japanese Embassy in Abuja released $66,704 to Tabitha Cumi Foundation to construct the classrooms.