Emmanuel Ifeanyi 
The Eden Oasis Humanitarian Foundation Nigeria has called on government at all levels to pay serious attention to all intervention programmes mapped out to help Nigerian children to ensure that the purposes of such programmes meet their aims.
Gift Ogbonna, the CEO of Eden Oasis Humanitarian Foundation made the call after a city-wide feeding programme carried out in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State to commemorate the 2023 Children’s Day with the theme: “Feed a Child, Feed the Future.”
Ogbonna said that activities of interventionist agencies like the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) with a mission to operate as an intervention, coordinating and monitoring agency to progressively improve the capacity of states, local Governmental agencies and communities in the provision of unfettered access to high qualitative basic education in Nigeria need to be monitored properly.
“I expect the government to bring in more eyes to know how the funds in the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Programme are being used.
“There’s a huge possibility that the Government is properly funding that Programme but in some states it may not be getting to the children it was initially set up for. So, they must look into it seriously. They should follow the money to know where it ends up,” she said.
Ogbonna said that the “Feed a Child, Feed the Future,” programme of the Oasis Humanitarian Foundation Nigeria in Aba made her realize the depth of the suffering surrounding most families where children are born and called on well-meaning individuals to leave their comfort zones and make moves to save lives.
New Telegraph reports that the “Feed a Child, Feed the Future,” programme of the Eden Oasis Humanitarian Foundation touched some designated areas in Aba South, Aba North and Osisioma Local Government Areas of Abia State where over 300 children were fed, given exercise books and numerous families given raw food items and cash to attend to their needs.
“I don’t usually do outings but I decided to come out publicly this year to get to more people and equally get more hands to help me on this move because a whole lot of Nigerian families especially kids are suffering. One just needs to go out there to see.
“It’s easier to sit in our mansion and claim that all is well, but by the time you go out and see where some people are residing with kids there lacking something as simple as food and basic education, you’ll be forced to do something.
“I must say that I’m fulfilled today. I’m not fulfilled because I came out, or because I’ve changed everything.
“I’m fulfilled because I gave the items I had today to the people that need them. I believe you saw the children and the families we reached out to today in Aba and you will agree with me that we didn’t misplace the food items we gave out.
“We gave it to the real people that need it considering the locations we went to and who we saw there. I found people that stay in dilapidated areas and I was touched. Let me reiterate, Government and private individuals in Nigeria must rise to be humans. Some top-class citizens of this country waste food in their homes.
“I think everybody, every Nigerian that’s able to send their kids to better schools, watch their families eat well and live all kinds of luxurious and easygoing lives can do better. They can join and support us to reach out to these people I saw today. It was touching but I’m happy to see them. We go out to shop, let’s shop for everybody.
“I saw people living in wooden tents as homes today. Who said we can’t team up to get such people a decent home? They are humans just that they don’t have what it takes to live a better life.
“I beg our people, let’s at least look back a little while running and see those we’re leaving behind us. I call for help, please. We need to save lives, especially the children born in such conditions.”
Ogbonna said that she decided to get involved in such humanitarian activities because she has an experience of what lack is all about and cannot stand idly by and watch people she knows she can help suffer over just a little lack.
