The Catholic Bishop of Katsina-Ala Diocese, Most Rev Isaac Bundepuun Dugu has graciously offered scholarship to over two hundred and fifty (250) children leaving in IDP camps in Anyiin and Ugba towns both in Katsina-Ala LGA of Benue State.
His Lordship, Bishop Dugu announced that over two hundred Internally Displaced Person’s children in Anyiin have already been enrolled in Primary School while fifty children have been enrolled in Ugba by the Catholic Diocese of Katsina-Ala.
Bishop Isaac Bundepuun Dugu explained that the aim is to give the IDP Children an opportunity to have access to education as a way of empowerment and also prevent a situation where they will grow to be a menace to society.
The Bishop maintained that twenty four (24) children from the camps have also been admitted into St Paul’s Secondary School, Kyado, Divine Love Catholic Girls’ Secondary School and St Gerald’s Secondary School Katsina-Ala while two (2) have proceeded to Enugu; all on full scholarship from the Diocese.
He reiterated the willingness of the Catholic Diocese of Katsina-Ala to provide education for all IDP children who are desirous , while emphasizing that the goal is to empty the IDP Camps through education since it is difficult for them to return to their ancestral land with nothing in place to forestall the incursion by armed herdsmen.
The Bishop of Katsina-Ala Diocese said a primary school for the IDPs children has already been built within the premises of St Athanasius Parish, Anyiin and provided with all the basic needs of the learners to ensure that no child is denied access to education, lamenting that some of the children were born in camps and have never had access to the four walls of a classroom.
The Bishop promised that the children will be trained to whatever level of education possible, and would be made to spend part of their holidays with some members of the Diocesan family outside the camps to give them a sense of belonging, adding that they have become the adopted children of the Diocese.
Bishop Dugu said he was motivated by the gospel of John chapter 10:10, where Jesus said He has come so that humanity may have life and have it to the full, stressing that as a shepherd, he felt the duty to cater for both the spiritual and physical needs of the people through education which is pivotal to ending poverty and ignorance
