Kunle Adelabu & Odede Efezino Kenneth
-Beneficiaries laud sponsor, Sen. Abiru
15 students in various higher institutions of learning have been awarded the Late Justice Mubasheer Akanbi Abiru Full Scholarship, by the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS).
The scholarship programme, which is part of the IKODASS Educational Support Scheme, was sponsored by Sen. Mikhail Adetokunbo Abiru, the Senator representing the Lagos East Senatorial District.
Beneficiaries were presented with N100, 000 cheques each at a brief ceremony held at the Oteju Hall of Ikorodu Ultra – Modern Town Hall on Saturday, April 2, 2023. According to the IKODASS and Senator Abiru team, the beneficiaries will get the support throughout the duration of their university studies.
Mr Rotimi Akeem Erogbogbo, Chairman, IKODASS, while commending Senator Abiru for the gesture and his educational support, also stated that Ikorodu Division is blessed with many brilliant students who only need support to excel.
“Your scholarship for three years has been paid, which means it has been paid for the next three years, and that is made possible by Distinguished Senator Tokunbo Abiru. We call it, ‘Tokunbo Abiru Full Scholarship’, because it has been totally paid for”, Erogbogbo revealed.
“We have a lot of brilliant students in Ikorodu and when I say Ikorodu, I mean Ikorodu Division, both indigenes and non – indigenes, particularly indigent students. We only pay our scholarship to students in public institutions because if you are attending a private institution, it means that you can afford it. We know your fee in public schools and we know what we are going to give that can support you in paying your fees. With that, you are on your way to success”.
Erogbogbo, while charging beneficiaries to do everything to attain success in their studies, also charged that there is still so much work to be done by the division to develop human and materials resources for its rapid growth.
“Recently, it was published by the United Nations that Ikorodu is the third largest city in Southwest, after Lagos and Ibadan, and also 12th in Nigeria, and what that mean to us is that, we have a lot of work to do to stand as third largest city and what do we do? We must develop our potentials and who are our potential and backbones? These young people, and we thought about how to locate you and assist you”, he said.
The sponsor of the scholarship, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, in his keynote address, said that his focus is on developing the human capital in Ikorodu Division, and the entire Lagos East Senatorial District.
The Senator, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries, was represented by Dr (Otunba) Hon. Saheed Oladapo Ibikunle, the Special Adviser on Constituency Matters to the Senator.
He commended IKODASS for picking education as an area that they want to focus on and instituting a scholarship system.
“Occasions of career should always be like this. They should be solemn and unique. They should be void of distraction”, he said.
“The Senator appreciate you so much on this project and this thing we are doing here today is one of the things he loves to identify himself with and the only way to appreciate him is to put it in your Curriculum Vitae (CV) tomorrow as beneficiary of Abiru Scholarship and that’s how you’ll start building your CV”.
He also informed the audience about the completion of training and graduation of over 100 teachers from the Lagos East Teacher Fellowship, which he said was designed for teachers to learn technology – inquiry based learning, so as to positively impact on their students.
Dr Abiodun Fatai – Abatan, a senior lecturer, Department of Political Science, Lagos State University, and a member of the IKODASS Scholarship Board who represented its Chairman, explained the modalities for the selection of beneficiaries.
He said that the process, which he described as thorough and credible, has produced best in different fields of human endeavours to benefit from the scholarship.
“Scholarship is not something you just receive, sometimes, you have to face a lot of challenges, and headaches to make sure you are the best in school, because what it means is that we should be guided by integrity; we should be guided by a more meritorious process”, Dr Abatan said.
“What we did basically is to select the beneficiaries that you are seeing here today. If you look at the world today, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), is one of the most reliable principles that is used in selecting, particularly in giving benefits in education.
“It is against the bedrock of that, that we said let us use this principle, such that we will have diversity of beneficiaries. We did it to ensure that we have a diversity of beneficiaries such that at the end of the day, we will be sure of balance and accountability”, he emphasized.
“We have chosen the best in different walks of life that will be able to represent the central objective of this scheme.
“Once again, I want to congratulate and appreciate you for putting on a very good performance”, he said.
Ariyo Samiat, one of the beneficiaries, thanked Senator Abiru for the gesture.
“I say thank you to Senator Tokunbo Abiru for giving us this opportunity, and I am sure that we are going to use it wisely”.
While stating that she encountered difficulties when she first got into LASU, the beneficiary said that she later picked up and since then, she has been maintaining her good grade.
“When I entered LASU, my first semester results were so bad, a lower mark, but since then, I have been moving higher and every semester, my CGPA is higher. Because you have a low GP does not mean you have lose, just try to work harder”, she said while recounting her experience.
“I will advise them not to think that school is a scam”, she advised.
Another beneficiary, Akinyemi Ibrahim Adegbenga, also commended the initiating body and the sponsor. She pledged to also assist others when she comes of age and bestow with means.
“Well, I am very grateful to be honest. I am very grateful. This is a great opportunity, they have really helped us and I pray for the board, the sponsor who is Senator Tokunbo Abiru. I pray for him and l also pray that the Lord should help me and other beneficiaries. I also promise to influence and push other people around us up too when I have the means”, she pledged.
“As it has been said, school is not a scam. With hard work, commitment to your education, you can get things easily”.
Johnson Afolabi, also speaking, said:
“I am grateful to the Senator for the arm of benevolence that he stretched to us. We are happy about it and it will really go a long way towards assisting my academics”, he said.
“My advice to other students is to strive hard in their academics, so that they can also be considered for grants like this”.
Beneficiaries of Late Justice Mubasheer Akanbi Abiru Full Scholarship
1.Daniel Joshua Oluwadamilare
School: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state
Course: Management and Accounting
CGPA: 4.8
2. Alowonle Glory Inumidun
School; University of ibadan
Course: Law
CGPA: 4.75
3. Bashorun Olaribigbe Ibrahim
School: Lagos State University
Course: Electronics and Computer Engineering
CGPA: 4.53
4. Akinyemi Ibrahim Adegbenga
School: Lagos state university ojo
Course: Economics
CGPA: 4.41
5. Lasisi Tawio Semilore
School: Lagos state university
Course: Law
CGPA: 4.36
6. Ogunbunmi Oluwatofunmi Chukwudumebi
School: Lagos State University, ojo
Course: Sociology
CGPA: 4.35
7. Ajao Kanyinsola Morenikeji
School: Lagos state university
Course: Accounting Education
CGPA: 4.27
8. Ahmed Azeemat Aramide
School: Lagos State University
Course: Law
CGPA: 4.23
9. Aladejobi Sekinat Ajibike
School: Lagos State University
Course: Law
CGPA: 4.23
10. Ogundein Afolabi Johnson
School: Lagos State University
Course: Law
CGPA: 4.2
11. Okelarin Florence Regina
School: Lagos State University (LASU)
Course: Biology Education
CGPA: 4.06
12. Olusanya Abiodun Fatai
School: University of ibadan
Course: Petroleum Engineering
CGPA: 3.88
13. Ariyo Samiat Ibiyemi
School: Lagos State University, Ojo
Course: Educational Management
CGPA: 3.84
14. Olufeko Oyinkansola Peace
School: Lagos State University
Course: Health Education
CGPA: 3.75
15. Oloruntade Morenikeji Idris
School: University of Lagos
Course: Computer science
CGPA: 3.71
