Ogun Senator Gives 103 Indigent Students Scholarships

James Sowole in Abeokuta

No fewer than 103 indigent students of Ogun West Senatorial have benefited from scholarship award from Senator Tolu Odebiyi Foundation.

The beneficiaries who are students of tertiary institutions also got brand new laptops.

The foundation which was set up by Odebiyi, a Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District and his wife, Mrs. Folasade Odebiyi to cater for the education of indigent students across the five local government areas of the Senatorial District.

At the third edition of the award ceremony, held at the Federal Polytechnic (FPI), Ilaro, 50 undergraduates were presented with scholarship award and brand new laptops while others received grants …

Speaking at the event, Odebiyi noted that the periodic gesture was aimed at further rebuilding and repositioning the zone; thereby salvaging it from economic backwardness, poverty and digital illiteracy that has been prevalent in the nation.

He disclosed that over 103 indigent students have benefitted from the gesture.

The Federal lawmaker disclosed that, the gesture was aimed improving human capital development in the district, saying “I am doing this because it is an investment in human capital development of our people. Education is never a waste.

“I am trying to break the circle of poverty in Ogun West Senatorial District by equipping our future leaders with the necessary skills.

“I have no doubt in my mind that this scholarship scheme will inspire the beneficiaries and the youths in general to drive the necessary change that will lead to a sustainable development in the Ogun West Senatorial District and indeed Ogun State.

“Permit me to say that I am an irrepressible advocate of the educational advancement of the people of Ogun State, particularly Ogun West Senatorial District. This is premised on my conviction that human capital development plays a vital role in the long-term productivity and development of any society. That is why education has continued to attract the highest priorities in my scheme of things, as the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District at the 9th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, he submitted.

He added that his driving force was in the multifaceted success which the scheme has recorded since it inception, adding that the competitive nature of the scholarship scheme has positively affected the performance of many undergraduate students in their respective institutions of learning, as a lot of them, who hitherto approached their studies with kid gloves, were now giving it the seriousness it deserved.

“Indeed, the payment of school fees, which could have naturally been a major constraint and distraction to these students, are being taking care of through the Tolu Odebiyi Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme”

Commenting on the selection process adopted by the foundation’s board, Odebiyi said that, “ your emergence, having gone through the painstaking screening and selection process, supervised by educationists of proven records and integrity, is an indication that our Senatorial District is blessed with highly industrious and exceptionally brilliant students”.

He implored youth to embrace the emerging technological skills and the vast opportunities of digital economy, for the transformation of the nation, encouraging them to be technologically savvy, so that they could leverage on the numerous legitimate opportunities associated with information technology, to further improve the society.

Decrying the rising statistics of out of school children via a vis unemployment rate, the senator advocated that more attention be given to free access to basic education by government across all levels, with a view to security the future of the present generation.

In his presentation, the Senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Senator Adetumbi Olubunmi applauded the ingenuity of Senator Odebiyi, stating that the best empowerment remained educational intervention.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, Scholarship Committee, Bayo Adeyemi hinted that the 50 new awardees consisting of 29 male and 21 females emerged from a total of 5, 000 applicants nationwide, out of which 1,306 were of Ogun West origin.

Adeyemi counseled the beneficiaries to continue to raise the bar of performance in their academics, with a view to setting the pace as proud indigenes of the Senatorial District in their respective future endeavours.