Neglect and Despair: The Plight of Ossiomo’s Children and Charilove Centre’s Battle for Survival

Bro. Chris Omusi, the Founder and Servant-leader of Charilove Centre, spoke at a press conference on Monday in Benin City, lamenting the dire conditions faced by less privileged children in Ossiomo’s St. Lucy Government Primary School.

His urgent appeal sheds light on the severe neglect of vulnerable children in Edo State and highlights the failings of the government in providing basic education and support.

At the forefront of his concerns is the deplorable state of the primary school in Ogan community, Oriomwhon Local Government Area, which was established in 1933 with the mission of educating the children of one of the poorest communities in Edo State.

The school, once a beacon of hope, now barely functions with only two teachers, down from three the previous year, to handle nine classrooms of eager but neglected pupils.
“It is unthinkable and unacceptable,” Bro. Omusi decried, pointing out the severe understaffing.
The situation is compounded by the fact that the headmistress, who also serves as the local Nigerian Union of Teachers chairperson, is often unavailable due to other engagements.

The lack of teachers is not the only challenge. The students lack learning materials and the school is woefully underfunded, creating an environment where these children, most of whom come from impoverished backgrounds, struggle to attain even the most basic education.

"How can two teachers manage nine classrooms and expect the children to ever reach their full potential?" Omusi questioned, urging both the government and concerned citizens to prioritise the children’s education and well-being.

The crisis at Ossiomo does not exist in isolation. Charilove Centre, founded by Omusi in 2005 to care for vulnerable children and individuals, faces its own battles. Originally established to take children off the streets, particularly those whose parents were ex-leprosy patients begging on highways, Charilove’s efforts to rehabilitate these families have gone largely unrecognised by the government.

In fact, the Centre has become a last resort for mentally challenged individuals, often abandoned at its doors by authorities without any support or funding.

Bro. Omusi recounted a harrowing incident in July 2011 when a critically ill boy named Abraham was dumped at Charilove by the police, barely alive. Instead of taking the boy to a hospital for urgent medical care, officials left him at the Centre without any explanation or assistance, highlighting the extent of the disregard for vulnerable individuals.

This neglect, Omusi argues, is not limited to isolated cases. He accuses the government of systematically excluding Charilove from opportunities for support and funding. When the Edo State government received resources to assist orphanages and homes in need, Charilove was conspicuously left out, despite its long-standing work with marginalised communities.
“Those of us who are conscientiously working in the field had hoped that fairness would prevail,” Omusi lamented, but the Centre received nothing, further exacerbating its financial woes.

The broader question of government accountability looms large in Omusi’s critique. While federal authorities speak of distributing palliatives to alleviate the suffering of the poor, Charilove and the communities it serves have seen little to no benefit. "Where are the palliatives?" Omusi asked, reflecting the frustration felt by many Nigerians who continue to struggle despite promises of aid.

At the heart of his message is a call for social justice. Omusi is not just appealing for financial support; he is demanding that the government fulfil its responsibility to the most vulnerable members of society.
His passion for equality and fairness shines through as he calls for meaningful change, not just for the children of Ossiomo, but for all marginalised communities across Edo State.

The situation at St. Lucy Government Primary School is emblematic of a broader crisis in Nigeria's education system, particularly in rural areas where resources are scarce, and government attention is fleeting.

Schools like Ossiomo, which were once tasked with lifting communities out of poverty through education, have been left to languish, their potential squandered by neglect. Without urgent intervention, the children of Ossiomo may remain trapped in the cycle of poverty, their dreams stifled by a system that has failed them.

As Omusi’s plea reverberates through Edo State, the question remains: Will the government and well-meaning Nigerians heed his call, or will the children of Ossiomo and the vulnerable individuals at Charilove Centre continue to be overlooked?

For Bro. Chris Omusi, the fight for justice is far from over, and the time for action is now.