Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has described education as the only light to the future of prosperity, development and peaceful co-existence of any nation.
Abiodun, who said this at the launch of a scholarship award scheme for 550 indigent students in Remo Federal Constituency of the state, in honour of his late son, Gbemiga Abiodun, who died six years ago, noted that the programme was conceived to celebrate the impactful and eventful life of Gbemiga Abiodun and all that he stood for while alive.
He added that the deceased lived a life of selflessness, consistency and scholarship.
According to Abiodun, the scholarships cover pupils in primary and secondary schools as well as those in vocational and tertiary institutions, stressing that it was spread across all schools in its coverage area.
Speaking at the launch of the Gbemiga Abiodun Education Scholarship Award held at Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area, Abiodun said the scheme will ensure that brilliant students and those whose parents could not afford to educate them, have access to quality education.
According to him, the number of beneficiaries will increase to 1000 in the next 12 months, which will be the minimum at any given time.
He said: “It is against this backdrop that my family came up with a scholarship scheme called GBEMIGA ABIODUN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, in memory of our son, Gbemiga Abiodun, which is strictly for indigent learners of Public Primary, Secondary Schools, Technical College and Tertiary Institutions, as well as Special Needs Learners within Ikenne, Remo North, and Sagamu Local Government Areas, to provide support to selected learners who are from the aforementioned local government areas of Ogun State.
“The award is in two phases. The first phase is to be a Scholarship Award, designed for indigent and brilliant students while its alternative form; the second phase will be a bursary award for in-need but not necessarily brilliant indigent students whose chances of upward socio-economic mobility are probable with bursary support.
“This scholarship award is designed for a period of three (3) years and within the age bracket of 6-25, and selection will be determined by the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, using the Cumulative Promotion Examination Result obtainable from the OGSERA platform while the beneficiaries for tertiary institutions were recommended by their respective institutions.”
“Olu, beyond his popular choosing career as a Disc Jockey, had an unwavering passion for sound education, which he pursued passionately till God called him to be with Him on that fateful day of 7th October, 2017.
“It is instructive to know that Olu’s choosing career as a Disc Jockey was a product of his innate passion for music and rhythms at a very tender age; the passion he consistently pursued to the apogee”.
In her opening remarks, wife of the governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, said the scheme is to impart on the lives of the beneficiaries and their parents, especially at these trying times, expressing the hope that the scheme would achieve it purpose of bringing succour to the benefiting families.
Giving a brief on the Scheme, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said scholarship is being sponsored entirely by the Dapo Abiodun family.