Road Safety Club Members Visit Orphanages in Ota
Cadets (Corpers) of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) road safety club converged at the FRSC Ota unit command, Ogun state, Nigeria on the the 31st August, 2018 as is the custom on Fridays from 8am but for a slightly different purpose from the usual Community Development Service (CDS). After a relatively long period of waiting, mingling and watching the TV, the convoy of FRSC cadets proceeded to the first of two destinations, Ijamido Children’s Home (Willoughby’s Home).
The reception at the home was warm, the children had been arranged in seating positions and clad in beautiful clothes. They had begun singing songs of praise to God before the FRSC cadets and their coordinator, Officer Ugwu joined in. Mrs Adetutu Eromosele one of the coordinators in the home asked everyone to sing the national anthem immediately after the praise and worship. After which, the cadets sang the NYSC anthem and the children sang the Ijamido children’s home anthem accordingly.
Officer Ugwu took the centre stage to introduce the Cadet in Charge, Ikolah Rawlings who in turn gave a brief, informal address. After this, Mrs Eromosele gave a full scale exposition on the Ijamido Children’s Home
Chief (Mrs) Irene Virginia Willoughby started the home with a baby girl who is currently the CEO of the home, Dr. Mrs Abosede Obakoya
“Ijamido Children’s home was founded by Chief (Mrs) Irene Virginia Willoughby. She was a daughter of early missionaries to Nigeria, she was the first head girl of Queens college, Lagos. She became a trained midwife later in life and helped to open a Maternity Centre at the Ota Local Government secretariat. It was later she got the call for a higher calling to pen the maternity home in 1958. She started the home with a baby girl who is currently the CEO of the home, Dr. Mrs Abosede Obakoya, a well-travelled teacher of over 27 years before voluntarily retiring to concentrate on the Willoughby’s home fully.” She said.
“Since inception over a thousand children have passed through the home. Children in the home are rechristened upon admission to the home and every child becomes a Willoughby (bearing the surname of the founder). Every child brought to the home has an extract obtained from a police station attached to his/her stay in the home to forestall legal issues. It is considered incest for children in the home to have a love relationship because they are brothers and sisters as pertaining to the common surname they bear.”
“The categories of children in the home include orphans, abandoned and maltreated children, over one hundred of which are currently in the home. The children are domiciled in the Willoughby’s home while they go to school and relate with other members of the society. There are children across all levels of education in the home and those possessing various skills for the ones not suited for continued education. However, every child at the home is ensured to have the basic primary and junior secondary education. Examples of successful Willoughby’s around the world are Pastor Dr. Jude Willoughby, Vice-Chancellor, Icon University and Samson Willoughby a Corper serving currently in Iwo, Osun State, among others.”
“The home is funded through donations from solicitation and goodwill. The land upon which the home is currently situated was bequeathed to her by the Local Government, and its building construction was funded by the Rotary Club against its dictates. The building was dedicated in April, 1990 during which Mama Willoughby said, “Now I have a place to rest.” Mama Willoughby died on 16th February, 1995 at the ripe age of 91. The home is a Christian oriented organization and thus seeks to uphold its tenets.” She concluded.
The kids at the home gave two lovely dance displays that beat the expectations of many with tracks from ‘DJ Nonsense’ booming from the speakers. During the dancing sessions, the CEO, Dr. Mrs Obakoya stepped in and was given the opportunity to give a speech. Her speech was concise during which she said,
Nowhere in the world where you find yourself that you cannot adapt to, you must always ensure to be your brother’s keeper.
“Know the God you are serving whether Christian or Muslim.”
“Ibi gbogbo ni ile owo” meaning,
“Every society demands your respect” in Yoruba
Ikolah Rawlings gave a speech about the NYSC scheme and purpose it seeks to serve in Nigerian communities. The traffic controllers 1 and 2, Mustapha Taiwo and David Thankgod chipped in a few more details like the four stages of the NYSC year before completion and the date the scheme was founded respectively.
A lecture was given by Officer Ugwu on “Pedestrian Safety on Nigerian Roads”. Mustapha Taiwo also gave a cash gift to a kid for answering his question correctly whilst he sensitized the kids about taking their education seriously.
Other highlights of the day’s event were the dancing competition between the corpers and the kids and an emotional moment for everyone when a little baby about three months old was brought forward — she had been abandoned by her parents. After the programme there were more photographs taken with the kids outside the hall.
After most corpers dispersed, the CDS executives and a few other corpers progressed to the orphanage that houses five kids, ‘The Lord’s Heritage Home’ to complete the visitation of the FRSC road safety club to orphanages for the day.
This story was written by Olaniran Oluwatobi
