Chairman of the occasion and Senior Pastor of Embrace Global Church, Ikorodu, Pastor Isaac Adeyemi, presenting the star prize to the winners. With them is the Asistant General Secretary, Finance, Mrs Yemisi Oluwagbemi

Bethesda School for the Blind, Surulere, Lagos, has won the 8th edition of the “You Can Be Their Eyes” Bible quiz organised for schools for the blind in Lagos State by The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN).

The school scored 80 points after breaking a tie with Paccelli School for the Blind, Surulere, with both schools having scored 75 points during the third round of the competition. The event took place at the Salvation Army Auditorium, Onipanu, Lagos.

Speaking at the occasion, the chairman of the event, Pastor Isaac Adeyemi, Senior Pastor of Embrace Global Church, Ikorodu, said he was excited to see the expertise displayed by the participating schools during their musical presentations. According to him, the lesson he learnt from the enthusiasm and joy exhibited by the participants was that the joy of the Lord is their strength.

Pastor Adeyemi charged the various schools for the blind to help their talented students develop their God-given potential. Speaking further, he said, “There is so much that you can do, there is so much I believe God has deposited inside of you to release to a generation. You have just demonstrated to us that no matter what, a man has no limitation, except by the things he allows to limit him.”

He encouraged everyone, irrespective of their position or status, to represent Jesus Christ and be His eyes. He said that true blindness is not the inability to see, but a lack of vision. “When you lack vision, you are blind.  A man who can see, but lacks vision is a blind man,” he said, adding that blind Bartimaeus understood this when he asked Jesus to restore his sight rather than give him money.

He commended The Bible Society of Nigeria for organising the competition and pledged his support for the programme.

Speaking earlier, the General Secretary/CEO of BSN, Dr Samuel Sanusi, welcomed the schools and commended them for participating in the competition. “All of you, the participating schools, are winners because you have qualified to take part in the competition,” he added. Dr Sanusi, who was represented by the Assistant General Secretary, Finance, Mrs. Yemisi Oluwagbemi, called on everyone, including the government, to support people with disabilities.

Bethesda School for the Blind which took first position received the star prize of one hundred thousand naira (₦100,000), Pacelli School for the Blind, the second position, received the sum of seventy thousand (₦70,000) while Federal Government College, Junior, Ijanikin, took third position with 40 points and got the sum of fifty thousand naira (₦50,000) followed by Federal Government College, Senior, Ijanikin with 20 points. Each of the contestants got a school bag and white cane.