Emotion as pupils donate N.3m to displaced children

Some members of the House of
Representatives were almost moved to
tears on Thursday as children of Straight
Gate Academy, Lagos, donated N300,000
for the upkeep of children displaced by
Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
The children, who were on excursion visit
to the National Assembly, donated N100,
000 for the upkeep of displaced children
in each of the three states of Adamawa,
Yobe and Borno.
The school children sat at the gallery of
the House of Representatives, as the
Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, made the
announcement on their behalf.
However, they received a standing
ovation from members who clapped
almost to the point of tears in
appreciation of the kindness of the
children.
Dogara had said that the visiting pupils
surprised him when he got a message
from them on arrival at the National
Assembly about what they planned to do.
“These children have done something,
which none of our visitors had ever done
before.
“I want to announce it to the hearing of
the international community and Nigeria.
“They have donated N300,000 to support
displaced children in Adamawa, Yobe and
Borno states. Each state will get N100,
000,” the speaker announced.
Meanwhile, Dogara has condemned the
latest bomb attacks by Boko Haram
insurgents in Yola, Adamawa State and
Kano State, describing the incidents as
“wicked and inhuman.”
The Speaker called for international
actions against all forms of terrorism in a
statement by his Special Adviser on Media
and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan.
Part of the statement read, “I am
saddened by this ugly, unfortunate,
dastardly and inhuman killing of innocent
Nigerians by blood-thirsty terrorists.
“I will urge our people not to cave in to
these cowards who are all out to destroy
our nation.
“I have a strong conviction that sooner,
they shall be defeated and Nigeria and
Nigerians will win this battle, because it is
a war against evil and good has always
triumphed over evil.
“I want to use this medium to once again
appeal to the international community to
rise up to the threats by terrorists.
“Recent happenings around the world, as
seen in the attacks in Paris, France and
the downing of a Russian plane in Egypt,
have shown that the world is facing a
common threat from terrorists.”