A Catholic girls’ boarding school in Benue State has begun rebuilding and bolstering security after a blaze destroyed three major buildings, school Principal said Saturday.
In a letter of appreciation to Dr. Livinus Tsar, an All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the House of Representatives in the 2027 election, the principal of St. Winifred Girls’ Secondary School, Father Isaac Shalegh, said the donor’s recent pledge brought “hope” back to the campus.
Dr. Tsar committed cash disbursements totaling N30 million and donated solar systems and closed‑circuit television equipment to help the school recover following a series of fires that repeatedly displaced pupils, the principal said.
“On behalf of the Bishop, Most Rev. William Avenya, the management, staff members, parents and students of St. Winifred Girls’ Secondary School, Ihugh, I once again wish to express our profound gratitude for your swift intervention,” Father Shalegh wrote. He added that words could not fully convey the school community’s appreciation.
The funds helped finance an immediate security response: technicians installed 10 solar‑powered security lights and began fitting CCTV cameras, Father Shalegh said. Work also has started on reroofing a student hostel after building materials arrived, a project church officials helped mobilize.
Government, and church leaders have since been convening meetings in Makurdi, the State capital to identify longer‑term reconstruction needs, the Principal said.
He described the psychological toll the fire took on students and staff but stressed that the outpouring of support had offered “hope and reassurance to our entire school community.”
Fr. Shalegh pledged to provide Dr. Tsar with regular progress updates and photographs as repairs continue.
Dr. Tsar, a close ally of Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, recently told NewsQuest that his philanthropic work in the state dates to 2010 and that his total recent commitments to St. Winifred’s — including an earlier pledge of N10 million toward a parish church completion — bring his support to roughly N30 million.
