A primary school teacher, Apostle Samuel Otogodo Arikwu, has begun the construction of fence round the Mai-Uke Primary School in Dakwa area of Bwari area council of the Federal capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, sparking excitement among residents of the host community.
Apostle Arikwu is also the founder of Ohewem Global Foundation (OGF), a non-governmental organisation he has been deploying to reach out to the needy and vulnerable members of the society in the FCT and across Nigeria.
Speaking to Blueprint at the site of the construction over the weekend, Apostle Arikwu said he was motivated by the passion to secure the pupils and staff being threatened by the upsurge of Okada riders, petty traders, Baban bola and other miscreants who put their lives in jeopardy on a daily basis.
“There have been some disturbing challenges in this school. The first is that, Okada riders have caused accidents in this school, trying to do shortcut across the premises. In fact many pupils have been injured from their activities. Then, there is the issue of petty traders building kiosks all over the surrounding.
“Most pathetic is the case of Baban-bola and all kinds of miscreants encroaching into the premises of this school. As a parent, I cannot sit and allow this happen. Then, as a teacher who once taught in this school, I want to leave a legacy by providing this widow’s mite to help protect the children and staff from these menace,” Arikwu stated.
Asked to give an estimate of the project, the founder of OGF said he was reluctant to disclose figures, preferring to do the job silently while seeking God’s reward. He said he derived his motivation from his NGO, which he has put on track to reach out to the vulnerable members of the society, and urged Nigerians of like mind to join in doing humanitarian activities to complement governments’ efforts in addressing the current cost of living hoopla.
