Kunle Adelabu
-Charges parents, teachers on Pupils’ welfare, education, behaviours
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men”, Holy Bible, Proverbs 22:29.
The above passage taken from the Holy Bible aptly captured the experiences of six pupils that were presented with scholarship by the Olori Ayangbure, Her Royal Highness, Olori Kudirat Shotobi, in recognition of their academic performances.
Aside the cash support for their education, each of the beneficiaries was also given a school bag which contained a dictionary, exercise books and a mathematical set while Oba Shotobi and his Olori also added 10,000 naira to each of the scholarship award given to the beneficiaries.
Other pupils at the event were also given cash and packages which had mathematical set and exercise books.
Also, as an icing on his cake, the overall winner of this year’s scholarship selection process, Ayeni Timileyin who scored 72.5, was given another scholarship to attend Kith and Kin College, lkorodu, for his secondary school education
The scholarship, which is being sponsored by Dr Temitope Oshikoya and facilitated annually by Olori Shotobi, is usually being presented to the lucky beneficiaries during the Christmas party organized every year by the Office of the Olori.
The scholarship was instituted by Olori Shotobi to assist brilliant but indigent pupils whose parents have little or no financial capacities to sponsor their education.
However, the annual Christmas celebration which is usually much looked forward to by children, has not been held for two consecutive years now due to the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and in its place, the scholarship award is being organised for beneficiaries who are picked from different primary schools in Ikorodu Kingdom through a selected process and are presented with the educational support at an exclusive ceremony at the Ayangbure palace.
This year’s edition of the scholarship award ceremony was held on Friday, December 24, 2021.
The six beneficiaries of this year’s Olori Shotobi scholarship award were – Ayeni Timileyin (Community Primary School, Mowo-Nla, Ikorodu), Oshikoya Amina Niniola (ljomu Primary School, Ikorodu), Joy Joseph (Oga Primary School, Ikorodu), Olukotun Samuel (Muslim Primary School, Ikorodu), Adedotun Ganiu, Methodist Primary School, Ikorodu) and Role Michael, Salvation Army Primary School, Ikorodu).
THE IMPACT gathered that the selection process for the beneficiaries of the scholarship was conducted by the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) and the results signed by Alhaji Afolabi Amusa, the Education Secretary of the institution in-charge of the primary education in Ikorodu Local Government.
Meanwhile, Olori Shotobi, in her address at the presentation of scholarship, charged parents to see their children as their responsibilities and urged that they should take good care of them and always be there for them when they are in need.
While expressing her dismay over the rate at which young people engage in criminal activities with impunity, the queen urged parents to ensure that their children have proper upbringing to prevent them from joining bad gangs.
She also told the parents that their children must always be their main priority rather than their businesses or work which she said keep them out till late in the day at the expense of their kids.
The royal mother, while thanking the teachers for impacting positively on the pupils, also charged them to continue to impact on the pupils academically and morally so that they can be useful to themselves, family and society at large.
She also urged the beneficiaries and other pupils to be serious with their studies, obey their parents and teachers and be of good behaviours in order to be successful in life.
While asking them to desist from the bad company, Olori Shotobi also assured the pupils that the royal family will continue to support those that are committed to their education and are of good character.
The Agbaakin of Ikorodu kingdom, Otunba (Sir) Ayodele Elesho, KJW, in his remarks, said that the initiative has been of great assistance to many pupils and their parents and added that it was introduced as part of the palace’ support for educational development in lkorodu.
“Olori has been organizing annual Christmas celebrations for primary school pupils across Ikorodu division since our Kabiyesi ascended the throne. At each occasion, we don’t have less than two to three thousands pupils coming to celebrate, eat and drink because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Having saddled them with the responsibilities of acquiring education all year through, the yuletide season should be time for them (the pupils) to relax”, Otunba Elesho explained.
“Concerning the scholarship award, it is also an initiative of Her Royal Highness, Olori Kudirat Shotobi, to support brilliant pupils whose parents are not so endowed with resources to sponsor their education.
“This gesture is to prevent these brilliant brains from rusting away. This initiative has been helping pupils”, Agbaakin added.
Otunba Elesho also advised the beneficiaries to continue to strive and do better in their academics and should not misuse the opportunity being given to them.
“Strive to work harder, study very well so that you can achieve more”, he said.
He commended Olori Shotobi for sustaining the scholarship award and prayed that God will reward her for the gesture.
Also speaking at the event, the Asipa of Ikorodu kingdom, Chief Kaoli Olusanya said that the annual Christmas celebration which is usually elaborate, was reduced to just presentation of scholarship due to the ravaging COVID-19.
He said that the beneficiaries were able to attend the event and physically meet the King, his Olori and other eminent personalities because of their academic performances.
Asipa Kaoli, who is the Chief Learning Officer of the Kith & Kit Educational School, also advised parents to take good care of their children and give them good counsel at all times.
“You are in the palace today because of your good academic performances and I am sure that you want to appear before Kings all the time but you must continue to work very hard by improving your educational standing”, he said.
“As the Holy Scripture says, “Show me a man who is diligent in his work, he won’t stand before mean men but kings”. You have to study hard so that you can continue to stand before Kings and make your parents proud of you.
“The importance of a parent is to monitor and take good care of the children in prayers; advising and counseling them because it’s very important.
“To the pupils, be more diligent in your studies so that you will go higher and your parents and Ikorodu division at large will be proud of you”, Asipa advised.
The Education Secretary, Alhaji Amusa Afolabi, in his own remarks, described the ceremony as a memorable one.
He said that the ongoing digitalization of the educational environment has brought improvement to teachings in schools.
“The computerization of teaching and learning in our schools has brought about improvement in learning. Now, the head teacher can monitor where teachers are and when they are in classrooms, as well as pupils’ learning procedures and that makes us to be very serious and know that education of our children is no more a joke but serious business”, he said.
He advised the parents not to neglect their children but endeavour to give them necessary care and attention.
“Parents should not just leave their children uncared for and to the teachers, your reward is no more only in heaven but also here on this earth which I have enjoyed myself”, Mr Amusa said.
Alhaji Afolabi thanked Olori Shotobi for deeming it fit to facilitate the scholarship to assist pupils in their education and also commended Oba Shotobi for supporting the gesture.
