Pastor Chris Oyakhilome announces Tuition-Free School in Rivers State

A non-governmental organization, Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International, has laid the foundation bricks for a tuition-free Nursery and Primary School in Atali community in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The school which is expected to become fully operational in September 2024, would provide robust educational facilities and free meals for about 500 indigent children from the host community.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday in Atali community, the Zonal Director of Christ Embassy, Port Harcourt Zone One, Pastor Amaechi Udeaku, said the school would not discriminate against pupils in terms of their religious inclinations, but cater to their educational needs.

Udeaku said the school, which is in partnership with Innercity Mission for Children, will operate on the principle of its founder and popular cleric, Rev (Dr) Chris Oyakhilome D. Sc, D. Sc, D.D, who believes that every child is his child.

Udeaku stated, “God’s love and God’s mercy goes to everyone and the vision of our man of God, Pastor Chris, is actually to reach every indigent child; so, irrespective of their religious inclinations, we are bringing this gift of education to every child.

“Pastor Chris has said every child is his child, so this opportunity is open to every child. This initiative would have tremendous and multifaceted impacts on the society.

“We know that there are many reasons why children are out of school. We have children that are out of school because of economic reasons and we know that when a child is not in school, that child would be susceptible to all kinds of vices in society.’’

“So we know that as we bring the children out of the streets and put them in the school, families who could not pay for their children’s school fees and meals, that would be taken care of because the school would be providing not just free education but also free meals every day.”

On her part, the Director of Innercity Mission for Children, Pastor Omo Alabi, said the free school in the state is the 16th of its kind globally and 13th in Nigeria.

Pastor Alabi stated that the school would be opened in September for the 2024/2025 academic year, adding that the foundation is committed to helping people and nations live purposeful lives.

He enthused, “This is the 16th school globally, but our 13th in Nigeria, strategically located in most of the geo-political zones of the country.

“We are here today to break grounds for this school in Rivers State under the auspices of Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International, a non-governmental, apolitical development organization, committed to helping people and nations live purposeful lives.

“The school is early years, nursery to primary and it is free, what the children get here is high-quality educational services in terms of academics, we also provide extra-curricular activities like the ‘school me’ programme, we provide skills acquisition, the play and learn, it’s a robust programme.”

Pastor Alabi added that “we are targeting 500 or more pupils for this school, but the host institutional partner mentioned that this is the first, which means he has a vision working under the auspices of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International to build more schools. So, we are building more schools.”