The 2nd Annual Lecture Series and Scholarship Awards of the Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation will be held tomorrow in Benin, Edo State.
The event aims to provide educational support to 24 children of deceased Police Officers from the Inspectorate cadre and other ranks who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Additionally, children from the seven local government areas of Edo South Senatorial District will also be considered for scholarship grants. A total of 12 children from deceased Police officers and 12 children from the local community will be selected as beneficiaries.
The Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation was established by Solomon Arase, a retired Inspector General of Police and Chairman of the Police Service Commission. The foundation holds this event annually to coincide with Arase’s birthday, serving as an expression of gratitude for the immeasurable grace and love bestowed upon him and his family.
The theme for this year’s edition is “The Benefits of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Civil and Criminal Cases by Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria.” The lecture will be delivered by Omonuwa Omoruyi, a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The foundation aims to reach and positively impact the lives of many children of deceased Police Officers from the Inspectorate cadre and below, as well as the local community members, who are determined to overcome life’s challenges through educational pursuits and achievements.
“The Foundation is dedicated to providing unparalleled opportunities for exceptional students who may face personal circumstances that would otherwise hinder their educational advancement.
The scholarship grants are carefully designed to provide the necessary support, encouragement, and assistance for the awardees to complete their graduate and post-graduate degrees, develop life skills, nurture career ambitions, and embark on a lifelong journey of self-discovery and excellence.”
In addition, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees has decided to monitor the progress of selected students during their secondary school years.
The support includes covering the costs of their WAEC and NECO examinations, which are essential qualifications for the scholarship. Starting from the next edition, the Foundation will assume responsibility for paying these examination fees for eligible children.
Last year’s inaugural lecture focused on the theme of “Citizens Inclusion in Security Management: The Edo State Model.” The event explored the issues, challenges, and future perspectives regarding community engagement and partnership in security provision. Eight students from seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District were awarded scholarships during that edition.
Seven of them pursued medicine, one studied law, and three more students will join them as this year’s recipients, completing the 12 scholarship recipients from the Senatorial District.
Arase initially introduced the scholarship scheme during his tenure as the 18th Inspector General of Police eight years ago, but it was not sustained after his departure from office.
He believes that the scholarship program can serve as a vital tool to support, encourage, and redirect the focus of Police Officers of lower ranks from engaging in misconduct.
He appealed to the Police Management Team to consider reintroducing the scheme for the children of these lower-ranking officers who lost their lives in active service. He emphasizes that the immeasurable motivation resulting from such an initiative cannot be quantified.