More than two years after New Telegraph’s report about the plight of a brilliant secondary school leaver, Usman Bashirat, who turned a hair stylist trainee due to poverty, the 21-year-old girl is now a 200-level student at the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State. Her metamorphosis is courtesy of a humanitarian group, Yomi Otubela Foundation (YOF), which was moved by the New Telegraph’s report and offered to support the education of the girl. Recently, the student, who said she is still short of words to describe her benefactor, had wept while appreciating the Foundation and its Founder, Otunba Yomi Otubela, for what she described as the rare privilege of having her life turned around for good.

When asked to say a few words at the Teacher’s Appreciation Day, organised by Lagooz School, a day and boarding school in Lagos, which was established by Otubela, Usman simply said: “I am short of words,” as tears of joy rolled down her chins. According to the beneficiary, following her outstanding performance at the Foundation’s competence and aptitude test in 2016, the foundation obtained the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation form for her and since she secured admission into the University of Ilorin, all her bills including accommodation, registration and upkeep allowances have been footed by the Foundation.

“I cannot thank them enough because my life has not remained the same since I met Chief Otubela and his wife, Mrs. Olivet Otubela. In fact, they secured for me a private hostel, where they paid N110,000 per session. I am also placed on monthly allowance of N15,000. I have no excuse not to do well, and I can only pray to God Almighty to reward them abundantly,” Usman told New Telegraph. She also thanked the newspaper for beaming its searchlight on her and for connecting her to her helper, even as she promised not to let everyone down by being a good ambassador of her sponsor. New Telegraph had on March 24, 2016, published a report entitled: “From best student to hair stylist trainee,” chronicling the challenges of the then 19-year-old girl, who had become a perpetual trainee at a hairdressing saloon due to her parents’ poverty to pay her training fees.

The brilliant girl, who had finished from Scholars Universal College, Ota in Ogun State had also been a beneficiary of scholarships from the school to complete her secondary education, where she represented the school in Mathematics competitions. Meanwhile, Otubela, who is the National Vice-President of the National Association of the Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), however, commended Usman for not betraying the Foundation’s belief and trust in her, saying the good of the world is what the group seeks through series of its support for humanity.

This was as he called on government and other stakeholders, especially investors in the nation’s education sector to prioritise quality investment in teachers and reward their sacrifices with improved welfare packages. Such steps, he noted, is the sure path to meaningful and sustainable development in Nigeria, saying the fulcrum for national development remains education, and that “quality input in the teachers will go a long way in determining the expected output of their products.” Otubela spoke during Lagooz School’s Teachers’ Appreciation Day, where gifts worth about N5 million including fridges, generators and cash prizes, among others, were presented to deserving teachers.

The event, which was organised by the management of the school in partnership with the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA), was attended by many dignitaries, teachers, parents, students and well-wishers of the school. According to him, the many giant strides of the school since its establishment could not be dissociated from the sacrifices of its staff, especially the teachers and their supporting workers. He said as responsible management and parents, the day was set aside to celebrate the teachers in line with the global recognition accorded teachers with the declaration of October 5 of every year as the World Teachers’ Day.

move to front page i weep when i saw this @lalasticalala