By Emma Una

YALA—The anxious faces of students at Igbeku Comprehensive Secondary School told a familiar story of uncertainty, worry, and the quiet fear that their education might end before the term did.  

For many, the third term examination loomed not as a challenge to conquer, but as a door that might remain firmly shut.  Then came Dr. Augustina Okem, wife of Yala Local Government Chairman, with a simple but life-changing message: “You will write your exams.”

In a heartfelt outreach that touched seven schools across the council area, Dr. Okem settled outstanding third-term fees for indigent students and pupils, ensuring that financial hardship would not rob them of their academic future. 

The schools visited included Igbeku Comprehensive Secondary School, St. Joseph’s Primary School in Okuku, Convent Primary School in Okpoma, St. Paul’s Primary School in Wanokom, St. John’s Primary School in Wanikade, St. Sylvester’s Primary School in Wanihem, and Government Science Secondary School in Wanihem.

“Some of you still have outstanding third-term school fees, and for that reason, you may not be allowed to write the fast-approaching examination,” Dr. Okem told the gathered children, her voice carrying a mother’s warmth. “It is not your fault that your parents are yet to pay your fees. It is my desire that none of you is kept away from writing the examination, that is why I have come to pay your fees.”

The gesture, she explained, was more than just financial assistance; it was about dignity, opportunity, and the belief that every child deserves an equal chance to succeed alongside their peers.

The initiative came with a deeper significance. Dr. Okem revealed that the exercise was carried out on the instruction of the Cross River State Governor’s wife, Her Excellency, Bishop (Dr.) Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, as a replacement for the annual Children’s Day Party that could not hold this year.

The traditional May 27 celebration was called off following the harrowing kidnapping of children in Oyo State, a tragedy that cast a shadow over what should have been a day of joy.

“In view of the sad situation where some children are held in the forest by bandits, it was not proper to hold the annual Children’s Day Party for you,” Dr. Okem explained. “That is why it became imperative that I visit schools and reach out to indigent students.”

Addressing the children, she emphasized the transformative power of education, calling it the cornerstone of success in life. She urged them to pray for the governor’s wife, Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, and her own husband, who she said “every day thinks of what to do to better the lives of the children of Yala Local Government Area.”

The response from the schools was overwhelming. Teachers and students alike broke into prayers of gratitude, asking for God’s blessings, protection, and divine health upon their benefactors. In their voices was not just thankfulness for fees paid, but recognition that someone had seen them, remembered them, and chosen to invest in their dreams.