By ABIRHIRE THOMAS…reporting from Abuja
The Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation holds its 2nd Annual Lecture Series and Scholarship Awards today in Benin, Edo State.
At the event, a total of 24 children broken down as 12 orphans of deceased police officers of inspectorate cadre and other ranks, who died in the course of duty, and 12 children from indigenes of the seven Local Government Areas of Edo South Senatorial District, are scheduled for scholarship grants as beneficiaries of the scholarship programme.
The DEFENDER reports that the Foundation is brainchild of Dr Solomon Arase, CFR, retired Inspector General of Police and Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and that the annual lecture series and scholarship awards event is held on the occasion of his birthday “in appreciation of God’s infinite grace and ineffable love for him and his family,” Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations, PSC, disclosed this in a statement obtained by this newspaper in Abuja on Tuesday.
The theme of this edition is “The Benefits of ADR in civil and criminal cases by Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria” and the paper will be presented by Omonuwa Omoruyi, OFR, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The Foundation is expected to afford many children of deceased Police Officers of the Inspectorate cadre and below and indigines of the zone who are desirous and determined of conquering the vagaries of life through educational pursuit and attainments to be reached and positively touched.
“The Foundation is thoughtfully structured to provide unparalleled opportunities for outstanding students whose personal circumstances might otherwise deny them the chances of furthering their education. ” The scholarship grant is carefully considered with components that will provide the mental structures to nurture, encourage and assist the awardees complete their graduate/post-graduate degrees, develop life skills, cultivate career ambitions and embark on a lifetime journey of self discovery and excellence “.
The Board of Trustees of the Foundation has also decided to monitor the careers of some of these children while in Secondary schools so as to support those who may not have the resources to pay for their WAEC and NECO examinations that qualifies them for the scholarship. The Foundation will from the next edition pay these examination fees for these categories of children.
The first edition of the annual lecture series took place last year with theme ‘Citizens Inclusion in Security Management – The Edo State Model where issues, challenges and future perspectives of community engagement and partnership in security provision in the society was interrogated. Eight students from seven local government Areas of Edo South Senatorial District with seven studying Medicine and one law plus three that were selected for this year will make up the 12 recipients of the scholarship from the Senatorial District.
Dr. Arase had earlier introduced this scholarship scheme while in service as the 18th Inspector General of Police eight years ago but it was not sustained immediately he left office.
The scholarship scheme according to him is also a tool to support, encourage and divert the minds of these Inspectors and other ranks from involving themselves in misconduct. He appeals that the Police Management Team should consider reintroducing the scheme for children of these low ranks who died in active service. He noted that the motivation that will come with this can not be quantified.
