Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo’s tenure as the wife of the vice president comes to a close after eight years, leaving a legacy of unwavering dedication to empowering women and girls, particularly those with disabilities, and also fighting gender-based violence, ensuring that it is eradicated in all forms.
The FAME Foundation gratefully acknowledges your profound love and support, particularly for your role in the HERSTEM project.
When the FAME Foundation approached you to launch the HERSTEM initiative for girls with disabilities, your response was unwavering. Despite the lingering challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, you fearlessly attended the programme, masked and fully engaged from beginning to end. Your presence alone provided assurance to the girls, and you took great care to ensure their well-being. Following the event, you sent packaged gifts from your office, which were distributed to the girls. We can’t thank you enough.
Mrs. Osinbajo’s support went beyond a single event. Months later, you extended your hospitality by hosting the girls at the presidential villa, where they were warmly received, and you also facilitated their access to your office, ensuring that people with disabilities felt welcome and appreciated. Your genuine empathy and occasional check-ins with the girls exemplify your role as the nurturing “mother of the nation.”
Your humility, transparency, and genuine compassion have left an indelible mark. The void left by your departure will be felt not only by the FAME Foundation but also by the girls whose lives you have touched. As you embark on new endeavours, the girls extend their love, gratitude, and heartfelt wishes.
You have been an exemplar of compassion, showcasing the transformative power of service. Your tireless efforts to uplift undeserved communities, particularly women, girls, and those with disabilities, have made a lasting impact.
As you have concluded your role, we will miss you. We celebrate your legacy and wish you continued success.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
