By Wole Mosadomi
Her intention was to finish her service last year, (2011), go back to her state and wait for what the future has in stock for her to unfold. Unlike most other corps members, especially from the Southern part of the country, Ine Edet Anwana, a corps member of Batch A 2011, said she was not in any way scared when she received her  call-up letter that confirmed her posting to Niger State.

However, she became scared and worried following the post- election crisis that engulfed Minna, the Niger State capital during which the “Coropers Lodge” along Bay Clinic Road was invaded by some hoodlums with the intention of setting the place and its occupants ablaze. She and her colleagues  escaped death narrowly.

*The hostel which the corper defied death to build

But that escape was not without a price: She lost all her belongings, including her certificates from primary school to the university level. However, the terrifying experience was not enough to stop her from serving her fatherland.

A graduate of Biochemistry, Ine was posted to the NNPC Depot in Pogo village, Paiko-Suleja road in Paikoro Local Government Area of the State.

How the project was initiated

Ine informed that while on a visit to a colleague at the Government Girls Secondary School , Kaffin koro in Paikoro Local Government Area, she was moved by the poor standard of their hostel which she described as “too poor for human habitation”.

In an interview with Vanguard Metro, she said: “Immediately I saw the hostel, something struck my mind that I could improve the living standard of these female students by building a hostel for them and I started planning for it”.

She said the secretary of Paikoro Local Government Area when approached reeled out the names of some prominent indigenes  of the area who could be approached for donation towards the take-off the project.

Obstacles on the way

But it sooned dawned on her that it was not easy to convince people to donate towards such a project, especially in the light of the common suspicion that most of those who solicit for funds are fraudsters.

She said only few people embraced her pet project, while others rejected it, adding that she was, however, not deterred.

“With the help of a top government official who became much more interested in the project, I was able to reach out to some personalities in the area whose names were given to me and with their assistance, I was able to rake  in about N2.6m at the initial stage  which made the take off of the project possible,” the corps member remarked.

What motivated her

“I am aware of the Girl-child Act, especially in the state and I am also aware of the importance the state governor,  Dr. Mua’zu  Babanda Aliyu attaches  to education, especially education for female children. Coupled with the  poor standard  of the hostel and toilet of the younger ones, I became much more interested in the execution of the  project. It was indeed determination that gave birth  to the present success,” she joyfully remarked.

She also narrated that while at  the University of Uyo, she belonged to a Fellowship called “El-Shaddai” which was formed towards  reaching out to the needy, most especially those in orphanages, prisons, old peoples homes and other less privileged. “That hostel project was for me a continuation of the humanitarian work we started in the university,” she said.

Accident on the way

The journey towards the completion of the project was not smooth.  It was full of obstacles, including  a near fatal accident during its execution and supervision. She said the accident occurred on a Friday while she was on her way to supervise work at the site.

“Apart from the project, I organised lessons for the students on Chemistry thrice a week to improve their ability in the science subject. After the Friday lessons, I left Kwakuti Town Junction for the site on an Okada which had a head-on collision with another bike at a T-Junction along the way.

The Okada rider died instantly. So, I’m lucky to be alive today. In fact, people who came to the accident scene initially thought that I was dead too because I was lying in my pool of blood,” she narrated, showing the bruises on her  skull, hand and foot with stitches still on them. The other Okada rider is paralyzed till today.

Not deterred by this near death experience, she said all she thought  during the months of her hospitalisation at Garki and National Hospitals, Gwagwalada, both at the Federal Capital   Territory, was her pet project and  how it would be completed.

“When some people heard about my accident, they visited me in both hospitals and made some donations for my upkeep and survival. And immediately I was discharged, I had to plough the donation for my upkeep back to the completion of the project which by the grace of God was accomplished,” the corps member remarked joyfully. She did not stop there.

“Even during my health challenges, people advised me to abandon the project half way and use the money to establish something for myself which I rejected. I was called all sorts of names when I rejected the tempting offers but I remained committed and resolute and by God’s grace, my mission has been accomplished,” she said.

The hostel  was completed at a cost of N3.8 million and commissioned on Tuesday March 13, 2012.

In appreciation of her immense contribution to the community, the District Head of Kaffin Koro, Alahji Abubakar Mamman conferred her with a chieftaincy title of “JAKADIYA” which translates to “Ambassador” of Kafin Koro.