PASTOR in charge of Province, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Oyo Province 13, Region 21, Oyo State, Pastor Samuel Awobode, says giving back to the society through the ‘Christian Social Responsibility’ is fulfilling one of the visions of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the general overseer of the church.

“It is his heart’s desire that the Church must go beyond the pulpit if we want to fulfill the mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ by impacting the lives of people and communities where we operate.

“There cannot be better evangelism than providing food for the hungry or water for the thirsty, and visiting the sick and those in the prison,” he noted.

Pastor Awobode stated this during the kickoff of the distribution of exercise books and First Aid boxes by the Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) team of RCCG Oyo Province 13, Region 21 at the United Christian Secondary School, Omi Adio, Ibadan, last week Wednesday.

He said Oyo Province 13 of the RCCG believes that financing education should not be left in the hands of government alone.

“We believe that the Church can as well assist the government in building a strong educational standard; and this is why we deemed it fit to distribute a total of 5,000 exercise books and well-equipped First Aid boxes across seven secondary and primary schools in four local government areas in the state.

Speaking at the event, the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Professor Niyi Olowofela, said the School Governing Boards policy inaugurated last year by the state government to bring community leaders, faith-based organisatons, old students association and the parent teacher association on board to support education and management of institutions had been yielding enormous results.

He said about N2.8 billion had been injected into various secondary schools in the state in terms of infrastructure development from the SGBs.

Olowofela disclosed that the Oyo State government had also started the renovation of 100 secondary schools with about N2.8 billion, while at the primary schools level it had also commenced renovation, procurement of educational tools, digging of latrines and provision of water services with about N3.7 billion.

Olowofela, who doubled as one of the pioneer student of the United Christian Secondary School, Omi Adio, Ibadan, founded in 1976, received the exercise books and First Aid boxes on behalf of the school’s management.

He commended the team for the immense contribution to the educational development in the state, as he challenged other faith-based institutions to also support various school systems in the state.

The head of department in humanities, Deacon Adeoye Olalekan, appreciated the kind gesture of the team on behalf of the principal, Pastor Babajide O. E; staff and students of the school, and promised that the management would make proper use of the materials.

Other schools that benefited from the donation include St Luke’s College 1&2, Molete; Oluyole High School, Adeoyo; Urban Day Grammar School, Ring Road; People’s Primary School 1&2, Adeoyo; Liberty Secondary Commercial Academy, Odo-Ona Elewe; and Christ High School, Oleyo – all in Ibadan.