Kunle Adelabu
600 students across the Lagos East Senatorial District were, on Thursday, October 14, 2021, presented with N50, 000 each as bursary award by the Senator representing the Lagos East Senatorial District, Sen. Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru.
The gesture of the former bank executive turned Senator was applauded by the beneficiaries, government functionaries and other guests at the presentation ceremony held at the School of Agriculture auditorium, Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu main campus.
In his address at the event, Abiru said that the bursary award was designed to support brilliant students in their education.
“The objective of this scheme is to promote higher qualitative education by supporting brilliant students but who have challenges funding their education in furtherance of their academic pursuit”, the Senator said.
“In this maiden edition, Six Hundred (600) eligible students across the 98 wards in the 16 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in the Lagos East Senatorial District, were shortlisted and screened by the TACT Bursary Advisory Board which is an independent Committee.
“This our modest intervention which is targeted at providing good to the greatest number of our people is an altruistic attempt to lift the hearts of many in these dark and challenging times and to once again reignite hope in those in despair. That is the paradigm we are pushing as a trustee of the peoples’ mandate”, he added.
He said that the feedback that he has been getting proved that the scheme will achieve its intended purposes.
“The appreciation we have received from beneficiaries is an indication that the scheme will provide the intended success and relief to many distraught students and their parents. We believe that this gesture will translate into better academic performance and by extension a secure future.
“Let me add at this juncture, that this laudable Bursary Scheme has come to stay. Dear beneficiaries, if you will give your studies the best shot, we are ready to stand by you all the way! So, the ball is entirely in your court!”, Sen. Abiru assured.
He thanked Dr. Abiodun Fatai-Abatan, a lecturer at the Lagos State University and the Chairman of the Tokunbo Abiru Bursary Advisory Committee and other members of the committee for doing a good job.
Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, commending the Senator’s initiative, said that education remains the only means of developing a country.
The Speaker was represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Okanlawon Sanni.
“Senator Abiru has done well in coming up with the idea of helping indigent students in our institution of higher learning in Lagos East Senatorial District. This act is indeed commendable and worthy of emulation”, he said.
“As a beneficiary of a good and qualitative education, I am always fascinated and ready to identify with any educational project which tends to produce men and women of refinement and culture, hence, today’s ceremony is certainly a marriage of vision for the development of human capital and preparation of future leaders.
“Your efforts to expand the frontiers of tertiary education in the state are a great service to the citizens of Lagos State and indeed humanity.
“An educational society is an easier society to govern and manage because of the awareness of citizens of their rights and obligations to and from the society”, the Speaker said.
“A people or country that plays with the value of education do so at their own peril but qualitative education that impacts and wakes up people’s creative power is capital intensive and requires consistent funding particularly in an emerging economy such as ours.
“Provision of bursary of this nature remains the best way of bringing brilliant but indigent students into the education nest or bridge the gap between the haves and have – not in the society”.
He said that the bursary award is a testament to the Senator’s humanitarian gesture and his agenda for youth development.
“l value today’s bursary awards ceremony which is not only a testimony of the humanitarian zeal of Senator Abiru to render service to fellow human beings but also a demonstration of the distinguished Senator’s agenda for the youths for global readiness”, Speaker said.
“I make bold to say that, we at the Lagos State House of Assembly, are proud to be associated with this laudable initiative. I salute your vision and as such, I call on all good Nigerians in their individual and corporate capacities to emulate this gesture”
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, described the Senator’s gesture as lightening the path of the Senatorial District towards development.
“I want to thank the distinguished Senator for this good gesture. I remember that we had to brainstorm for weeks on how to go about it; reasons why we have to do it and way forward for our children”, he recalled.
“With due respect, we need to catch – up in Lagos East Senatorial District and that starts with education.
“What the Senator is doing for our people today is not just an investment but also showing them the light and the path to development.
“Even though you have given 600 of our best encouragement in terms of this (bursary), the multiplier effect goes beyond these 600. It also motivates the other students within the ecosystem.
“But what you invest in them in terms of education goes beyond other infrastructures and that is why I want to thank you on behalf of the governor. Your starting point is 600 and I believe that by next year, you will multiply it for more students to benefit”, the Special Adviser said.
The Chairman, Bursary Advisory Board of Senator Tokunbo Abiru, Dr Abiodun Fatai Abatan, also speaking at the presentation, said that the bursary award is important to the development of education in the state.
The scholar also said that the initiative by the Senator is the largest privately funded bursary in the history of the District.
“For me, today’s ceremony is extremely significant to the development of education in Lagos state, not least because we are offering support to the students in the pursuit of their education, but also that it is the first time in the political configuration of the Lagos East Senatorial district that a Senator will finance higher education with a bursary of 30 million naira, distributed to 600 students at a value of N50, 000 naira each spread across various tertiary institutions of learning in Lagos State”, Dr Abatan said.
“As a researcher in the social sciences, and as the chairman of the Tokunbo Abiru Bursary Advisory Board, my findings have demonstrated that this bursary scheme by Senator Tokunbo Abiru is the largest privately funded bursary award in the history of Lagos East Senatorial district.
“My reflection on this is the conscientious commitment of the sponsor to the good people of Lagos East with a special focus on students and the younger generation”.
Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, former Secretary to the State Government and GAC Chieftain, Sir David Sunmoni, Chairman, Governing Council/Pro – Chancellor, Lagos State University were among dignitaries that spoke at the presentation in commendation of the Senator’s gesture.
Some of the beneficiaries that also spoke with our reporter said that the bursary awards will impact on their education.
Miss Ibrahim Omobolade, 200 level student of Health lnformation Management, Lagos State College of Health Technology and resident of Shomou Local Government, said that she was excited to been among the beneficiaries.
She said that the Senator’s gesture will impact positively on her education.
“I am so happy and excited to be one of the beneficiaries of Senator Abiru’s scholarship. I pray that God Almighty will make everything easier for us (beneficiaries) and guide us through our programmes”, she said.
“I also pray that He also makes it easier for the Senator too in empowering more students.
“The bursary award will definitely impact on our education because that is what it was intended to achieve. In my own case, I am already progressing in my education and receiving the bursary will be of great support and hopefully, I will also be part of the beneficiaries next year”.
Soloye Abraham Akinyemi, ND 2 Student of Federal College of Fisheries and Maritime Technology, also speaking with THE IMPACT at the presentation, said:
“I feel so grateful and happy for being one of the beneficiaries. It is great that Senator Abiru is putting in place this empowerment programme for the students. This is a progressive idea and I thank him for initiating this and all that he has been doing.
“This is not the first time that I’ll be benefitting from him. I am actually from his Local Government and l am happy to receive the bursary award”, he said.
Another beneficiary, Giwa Alexandra Oluwadamilare, a 200 level student of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) who hails from Epe Local Government, in his own response, said:
“I see this bursary award as a motivation for youths that they are not alone in their struggle. It’s like a support for us and an advantage to make us more serious with our studies.
“It is a very good decision and initiative on the part of the Senator. I thank him for the gesture”.
Aminu Farouq Ola-Oluwa, 200 level student of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) also from Epe Local Government, said:
“I see this as a very good initiative. Senator Mukhail Abiru has really tried a lot and I really appreciate his efforts.
“I see this as something to encourage students and those coming into higher institutions that they are loved and supported by him. Also, that their dreams will be achieved with this support”.
