By Okosun Dennis
From hopelessness to grace; from lack of education to promise to have sufficient education up to the university level. The case of Gift Osayuhi typifies a child of destiny with abundance of grace and gift from God.
Before #EndSARS# protest began, having the opportunity to attend a Western education was like a mirage to him as his widowed mother manages to provide meal for the two children not to talk of sending Osayuhi to school.
For a child that has the inclination to become a police officer, the chance of realising that was slim as the future seems blink and blank with no help from nowhere except from heaven. To make ends meet, he joins the poor mother to sell water and drinks at the Ring Road in Benin City.
Suddenly, he was catapulted into a situation he neither thought nor envisaged. As the protest intensified and slipped into a violent destruction of properties after hoodlums and street urchins had hijacked the 13-days peaceful protest by Nigerian youths who had expressed their angst and anger over police brutality exacerbated by SARS, and a police station located at the Oba Market was attacked by the hoodlums, Osayuhi saw it as a golden opportunity to become a policeman he has always craved to become.
Adorning Police Uniform with Sergeant Badge
Either by accident or design, Osayuhi grabbed the police uniform with Sergeant rank badge and adorned it.
Not done, he reached out to his playing mates and boldly and boastfully declared: “I am the new Inspector General of Police.” Wearing the uniform illegally led to his apprehension by the police and a journey to the cell began.
Characteristically, he became one of the hoodlums that invaded the police station. Absolutely, the Edo State Police Command was not wrong in its decision even though some critics lampooned the force for not showing consideration to such a young lad.
Subsequently, Gift Osayuhi was among those paraded by the police with further threat to charge him before a Juvenile Court. As a result, his picture and story went viral. All and sundry went gaga!!!
His Rescue
As usual, a Human Right Group called the Talakawa Republic led by by irrepressible Marxist Kola Edokpayi went public. The choice was to seek for peace, plead and passionately beg the Commissioner of Police, Edo State, CP Kokumo and the Edo State Ministry of Justice to release the teenager to him and his organisation. Expectedly so, he was granted bail and handed over to Talakawa Republic.
Visit to Family House
As the journey to giving the little lad a new lease of life, Marxist explained that they met with the mother of the boy who happens to be a widow.
“It was actually an emotional moment after the woman narrated how she has been selling sachet water to take care of the two children alone after her husband died in 2018,” Marxist explained.
Pathetically, it was found out that they live in a one-room-apartment, in a house that “looks like a ghetto.”
A woman, who before now was lost in thought as to how best she could wriggle the son out of the problem, had the cause to thank God for using Talakawa Republic to bring succour to her seeming demented life.
“We informed her of our intention to sponsor the Education of the boy to any level and ensure he gets into the Nigeria Police Force when he graduates,” Marxist further stated.
He added, “we also promise to give her capital to start another good business and also assist them to get a good accommodation for them to stay because we believe the environment of any child has so much negative effect on a child.
“Consequently, we have resolved to set up an Education Trust Fund for the boy. Any amount realised will be spent on his tuition from Secondary school to any academic level he wishes; buying of books and other learning materials, good clothes, shoes for him.”
In addition, they promised to immediately commence a rehabilitation programme that would give him all necessary psychological/Counsellorship support.
Instantaneously, they have set up a five-man Board of Trustee to supervise the utilization of the funds in the Education Trust Account and the members of the committee include: Chief Engr. Owen Obaseki (Chairman); Marxist Kola Edokpayi (Alternative Chairman); Felix Osemwengie Isere (Secretary); Pharez Okpere and Sarah Igunbor.
While seeking for public support and funding, they provided the Secretary of the Board’s account: 0087358840 (Union Bank) Felix Isere for donation or contribution in respect of Boy Gift Osayuhi.
Enrolment in Private School November 2
In fulfillment of the promise made to the Edo state Commissioner of Police, CP Kokumo and Ministry of Justice to provide education for the boy, the Human Right Group took the bull by the horns and enrolled Gift Osahuyi in a private school in Benin City on Monday, November 2, 2020. The journey to having a perfect Western education, which he has lacked before now, has begun.
It was gathered that Gift Osayuhi, the 11 years old boy accompanied by his mother, was enrolled into Junior Secondary School (JSS1) in Standard Group of Schools, one of the best private School in Benin City.
According to Marxist Edokpayi said while enrolling him at the school, “This is the smart and intelligent boy our system almost destroyed his future.”
“We thank everyone who has shown support and commitment towards his Education Trust Fund. Special thanks to Amafe Jessica who paid his first term tuition fee.”
Noblest Appeal
Talakawa Republic has sincerely appealed to kind-hearted Edo People, Nigerians and everyone to support the rehabilitation and reformation of this juvenile to become that Inspector General of Police he wishes to become and give his family a good life.
They are also using the opportunity to challenge the Government that every child in the street has dreams and potentials, but poverty has been their bane to achieving or reaching the apogee of their life.
Therefore, “We need to use this opportunity to inform those in authority that our children in the streets are not born criminals or miscreants but the society they were born into failed them, consequent upon that, they want to use the boy as an inspiration to all children in Nigeria not to give up because there lies some glimmer of hope ahead for them because in the midst of the vicious hiccups, lies the brighter side.”
Marxist affirmed, “If this is the only achievement of the #EndSARS protest, I think we have achieved so much,” he reiterated.
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/grass-to-grace-11-years-old-boy-arrested-for-parading-himself-as-inspector-general-of-police-resumes-school/
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