The Grand Khadi of Sharial Court of Appeal, Ilorin, Kwara State, Alhaji Idrish Haroon, and the Chairman of Islamic Orphanage Foundation, Ilorin, Alhaji Serifullahi Alege, on Saturday urged the federal, state, and local governments, corporate organisations, religious and social bodies and individuals to invest more in programmes and activities that will further alleviate the plights of the vulnerable group, including orphans and widows.

They spoke during the distribution of items to orphans and widows by IOF in Ilorin.

Haroon, who was represented by Dr. Abdulmumeen Uthman said assistance and investment in the welfare of orphans and widows were humanitarian gestures and services to humanity. He added that such efforts will surely be rewarded by God.

Alege said the orphanage was having difficulty in paying the school fees of its pupils and students in secondary and tertiary institutions across the country.

He stated that 89 children of IOF were in nursery and primary schools, 85 in secondary schools and 78 in tertiary Institutions across the country including a visual impaired student who studies at Oyo State College of Education Special.

He said that in 2010, the foundation spent N810,775m on the children. He added that in 2011, it spent N2,378m; in 2012, N3,642m and 2013, N2,812m on the welfare and education of the children.

According to him, about N250m would be needed to complete the permanent site of IOF that would accommodate about 560 orphans.

Alege said, "When our children are going to start first term and new session in secondary schools and tertiary institutions, we always pay large sums of money for their school fees as we have many of them in SS3 classes, universities and other tertiary institutions.

"We have 252 children who currently we are taken care off. This is besides those in vocational centres. We have 15 of them going to vocational centre studying such subjects as Computer appreciation, soup making and others.

"There were some children who could not cope with education. Our experts helped us to identified them and we ensured that they were sponsored to vocational centres to ensure that they can sustain themselves in future. We need assistance to continue to ensure the welfare, educational and vocation training and the overall development of these children."