Kunle Adelabu
A total number of 310 prospective candidates for Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education from Ikorodu Division, on Friday, April 23, 2021, received Free JAMB forms from the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and representative of the Ikorodu Constituency I, Hon. Sanai Agunibiade.
The best student in the JAMB examination, according to the four – term lawmaker, will be rewarded and celebrated as part of the lawmaker’s plans to further motivate beneficiaries to perform very well in the examination.
The beneficiaries of the lawmaker’s gesture also started Computer Based Test (CBT) training at the HOMAT Comprehensive College, Igbe junction, Igbogbo, on the same day, to learn the rudiments of using computers in answering JAMB questions during the exam.
Speaking about the commendable gesture, Hon. Agunbiade said that the initial intention was to give 250 free JAMB forms and trained beneficiaries on CBT but that the demands from constituents outside his jurisdiction informed the increment in the number of the beneficiaries to 280.
On the day of the distribution, the lawmaker announced that a total of 310 students would be benefitting from the gesture due to increase in requests from constituents.
Many students that are also interested in writing JAMB examinations but whose parents cannot afford to sponsor them, were also seen arriving at the venue to beg for consideration.
Hon. Agunbiade, while addressing the beneficiaries, which cut across the six Council areas in Ikorodu Division, at the HOMAT Event Centre, said that:
“We are not just providing you with JAMB forms because the examination is all about your mastery of technology. You have to be computer literate and savvy.
“We feel that it is not enough to give you the forms but to also help you in preparing for the examination and pass in flying colours by including the CBT training in computer.
The ranking lawmaker also charged the students to be determined to be the best by writing and passing the examination in flying colours and secure admissions into various higher institutions.
To further motivate the students, the representative of Ikorodu Constituency I, who is also the Opomulero (Pillar) of Ikorodu Kingdom, announced a cash gift for the best students among the beneficiaries.
“We are not just supporting you to write the examination, but we are also going to monitor your performance and reward the best student.
“I will be giving N50, 000 to any student among you that emerge the best. We are going to celebrate the person and I can still increase the figure”, he announced.
“We are still considering reward for the second and third positions too.
“We are not just providing forms but also motivating you so that you can pass the examination very well”, he said.
He said that his personal experience while growing up and the need to encourage the youths, made him initiated some programmes to support and develop education.
“The idea of buying the forms for our students is a way of contributing to the educational advancement of the youths.
“With little or no support, I knew what I have attained because of education.
“It is because of this personal experience that I established many educational support initiatives and one of it is to provide free JAMB forms to students”, he said.
“We did same thing last year and year before.
“Initially, we planned to give out 250 JAMB forms and we gave all these slots to various social media platforms, youth groups, students’ bodies, traditional institutions, religious bodies, political groups and community development associations among others.
“We later increased to 310 because of endless requests and even at that, people and groups are still demanding. Some groups called me to make their requests and I have to act on the requests.
“As we speak, we have 310 that we are going to be giving the free JAMB forms for 2021”, Hon. Agunbiade said.
Pastor Akeem Bello, the Principal of the Oriwu College Senior Model College, Ikorodu, and the Coordinator of Hon. Agunbiade Education Initiative, speaking earlier, said that one of the lawmaker’s legislative agenda is to develop better leaders for tomorrow by supporting educational development in the division.
He stated that aside the annual free JAMB forms distributions, there are other initiatives through which the lawmaker is contributing to educational developmentin lkorodu division.
“Hon. SOB Agunbiade is supporting your education with free JAMB forms and CBT training. He has continually supported educational development in the Ikorodu Division because he believes that education is the only means that youths can be better developed.
“He started with Back – to School programme, Best Brain Contest and Free JAMB forms among others.
“He is so passionate about the development of Ikorodu Division and will always consider every aspect of the division in his representation. That is why many of the beneficiaries of this year’s free JAMB forms were nominated by youth groups and student union bodies across the Division”.
He charged beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity provided for them.
“He is not providing you these forms with free money because he doesn’t collect constituency projects, but his way of assisting you and your parents, some of whom are struggling, to feed and care for you.
“This is an opportunity that you must not miss. Ensure that you make the best of it”, Mr Bello charged.
Hon. Azeez Jimoh Olosugbo, the Coordinator of Onward Movement of Nigeria, the operational arm of Hon. Agunbiade engaged beneficiaries on the need for them to have necessary subject combinations and mentors.
He charged them to study hard and make good results to gain admission into higher institutions.
