By Augustus Bill
Aisha Edward, a moral crusader and the coordinator of the Association of Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder has vehemently condemned the Despicable and Embarrassing act perpetuated by most politicians who use the guise of charity for the purpose of media attention and scoring political points.
Reacting to Some media investigative Reporters during an interview on The Growing trend of politicizing Charity and the way Forward, The Eloquent moral crusader said that charity should be an act of goodwill and not for political strategies to score Cheap political points as seen in the acts of most Nigerian politicians.
She decried that these politicians do not consider the Emotional breakdown the less priviledged pass through when they are subjected to this deceit. She highlighted that most politicians play to the gallery by Claiming Benefactors of scholarship Awards and owning foundations that are not even registered with the State Government or Corporate Affairs Commission, only to Open their foundation Imaginary offices during elections period.
Aisha confirmed that most of these foundations have no offices where people could access their Continuos support, and even when they have, these offices are under lock and key until the election period when these offices now serve more as campaign offices than the purpose the name signifies.
She, however, stated that as much as charity and Alms giving is good and should be encouraged, it should also be done out of goodwill and not for the selfish purposes of winning elections.
Aisha allayed that charity done under the guise of winning votes, is corruption and should not be taken likely. She bemoaned the act of politicians announcing scholarships when in the actual sense what they did was Alms giving. She revealed that most of these announced scholarships could not even foot the tuition fees of the recipient, so what makes it a scholarship.
Politicians should understand the meanings and differences in Scholarship and Alms giving, Scholarship according to Aisha is not a roadside gift, it follows a thorough clinical and Administrative process and in most cases involve the Schools of the Beneficiaries and even their LGAs to prove that they were actually students and bonafide to receive the scholarships given.
In most cases, there are aptitude tests, to test the IQ of the recipients and the bests are offered this scholarship. There is usually a written agreement between both parties, stating how much involved in the scholarship, duration, and conditions, of course this is not what you can pull on the streets.
Scholarship has been bastardized by Nigerian Politicians who see it as a way of helping the less privileged but they forget that even the kids of the wealthy partake in scholarships too, receiving a scholarship does not mean your family is poor or could not pay your fees, it rather means that you are good enough rating by the standards of the benefactors.
Charity is a virtue that should be protected and the clergies has not done enough in this regard, we are so carried away by our wanton need for money that we don’t try to verify a lot of offers that come our way. The Clergy should step up, and ensure that the less privileged are no longer subjected the mockery of these politicians. The Clergies can as well assist the politicians by counseling them well and Organize such Ceremonies through various Department in the Church which is genuinely known to be Reflecting and practicing Charity to those in dire need. Such in the absence of Politics would produce a better, more transparent and Accurate result. People of This Century should be taught to go to Churches for Such Noble causes and not Church to people and their Magnificent Residents.
She, however advised members of the press to do their work with dignity and not get carried away by the monetary offers they get from these politicians, as constant media coverage of these deceit and shameful acts does not in any way salvage the situation but rather plunges it into continuation.
In her concluding words, Aisha, appreciated the efforts of Individuals who genuinely donate to charity, she also urged them never to Relent, as the reward of charity comes from God rather than man.
