By Michael Agbaji
Chairman, Senate Appropriation Committee and Senator representing Ogun West at the National Assembly, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, on Saturday, began his scholarship and bursary scheme by empowering 1,600 students across the five local governments in the senatorial district.
The education support scheme tagged: 1st Yayi Scholarship/Bursary Award Programme, held in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, saw selected indigent students in 53 tertiary institutions benefiting from the financial support.
Speaking at the event, Senator Adeola said the scheme was in fulfillment of his electoral promises to the people and youths of Ogun West.
He explained that the programme which was basically meant to come to the rescue of brilliant students facing some financial challenges in the course of their studies, was facilitated in conjunction with the Teacher’s Registration Council of Nigeria and the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria.
The senator added the scheme was equally in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the scholarship and bursary awards apart from being designed to assist parents, it is also to complement the laudable educational initiatives of the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, particularly in the area of provision of educational infrastructure across the three senatorial districts of the state.
“For the effective implementation of this programme, I constituted a team of top educationists, academicians, and selected stakeholders led by Professor Tope Popoola to organize the modalities for the success of the programme. I am glad they have not disappointed in their professional handling of the educational support fund for our youths that I now refer to as “Yayi Scholars”.
“Today a total number of 532 students spread across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in different parts of the nation are to be awarded scholarships to the tune of N200,000 for university scholars; N180,000 for polytechnics and N150, 000 for Colleges of Education upon successful verification of their academic records in line with the set out criteria and guidelines. I have also included a Bursary Award of N100,000 for 1,000 students of the senatorial district distributed to all the 5 local governments at 200 per local government”, Senator Adeola stated.
He, however, urged the beneficiaries not to spend the funds provided on frivolities, but for the payment of their school fees and not free money to buy phones, bags, and clothes.
“The whole idea was to assist your parents and to ensure that no brilliant student of Ogun West extraction drops out of school as a result of non-payment of school fees. I believe strongly that with this token, there will be some succour tin alleviatingthe problems that could arise as a result of a recent increase in school fees across the nation.
“My motivation for this financial empowerment for the education sector is based on a vision that acknowledges the liberating role of good education in any kind of development”, he said.
Senator Adeola promised to continue both the educational support fund for “Yayi Scholars” as well as expand education infrastructures in the Ogun West Senatorial district, submitting “I will also continue to support all legislative initiatives for the good education of our students as well as the provision of requisite education funding for our educational institutions”.
