Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
-Pledges $10, 000 for outstanding graduate annually, jobs
More students from Ikorodu Division, will, from next year, benefits from the annual scholarship and bursary awards of the Ikorodu Divisional Peace Initiative Limited (IDPIL), as the group increased the annual educational endowment from N20million to N30million.
A sum of $10, 000 was also announced as an annual support for most outstanding graduates from Ikorodu Division, for further study abroad. Equally, three to four best graduates will also be assisted in securing employments.
Odofin Adewunmi Ogunsanya, SAN, the Odofin of Ikorodu Kingdom and Chairman, IDPIL, made the announcements on behalf of The Exclusive Club of Ikorodu at the second edition of the presentation of the awards at the Prestige Immaculate Events & Suites, Ibeshe, Ikorodu, on Saturday, August 19, 2023.
A total of 200 beneficiaries were given monetary support this year in three categories – Scholarship, Bursary1 and Bursary.
Also, beneficiaries of last year’s scholarship that maintained 4.5 CGPA, also received the second tranche of their educational support from the IDPIL.
Speaking, Odofin Adewunmi Ogunsanya, SAN, who described the event as very promising, also thanked members of the group for their commitment.
“Today’s event is very promising and very encouraging. We are doing so many other things to impact Ikorodu Division, and I want to thank all our members for their selfless and tireless efforts in serving the community. I want you all to continually pray for them”, he said.
“First of all, I discussed with the Chairman of The Exclusive Club, and we have agreed to give the most outstanding graduate from Ikorodu $10, 000, every year. The money is meant for them to further their studies abroad”, he announced to a wild jubilation from the crowd inside the hall.
“Also, on behalf of The Exclusive Club, the IDPIL will also increase the annual N20milion endowment for scholarship and bursary. This will enable us to give more students financial support. The Exclusive will pay the additional N10million.
“This is necessary because these are our future seated here and we have to assist them”.
IDPIL Chairman also assured the audience that an employment is already waiting for the overall best graduate in Ikorodu Division this year, Miss Azeezat Dolamu.
“In addition, The Exclusive Club will also assist about three or four outstanding graduates with jobs so that they will have something. For instance, there is work already for Azeezat Dolamu, the overall best graduate in Ikorodu Division this year. We are prepared to assist her in this way”, he said.
“This is to give them incentive to work harder to make good grades. Once that is done, our graduates who perform better, are assured of jobs”.
Chairman of the occasion, who is also the President, The Exclusive of Ikorodu, Bashorun Babatunde Rotinwa, commended the IDPIL.
He singled out Odofin Ogunsanya for commendations for his philanthropic gesture, and for using his resources to reinvent the support for education and general development of Ikorodu Division, which he said was the practice by great Ikorodu personalities, in the past.
He said that these exemplary gestures by these men produced many outstanding individuals from the Ikorodu Division, who have recorded many firsts and great achievements in the state, nationally and internationally, adding that the Lagos State Government cannot relegated such Division to the background.
“Anywhere that we go, even in United States of America, Ikorodu people are known for fine records of service and brilliance. We have so many firsts in this Division, and that is why we are fighting the Lagos State Government for relegating Ikorodu Division. You cannot relegate such Division.
“This is a division that are known for leading so many things even before the creation of Lagos State”.
He charged beneficiaries to see the award of scholarship and bursary as an opportunity to do well in their studies and continue the tradition of excellence that Ikorodu is known for.
“This vast amount of money being invested on you is an opportunity for you (beneficiaries) to continue to do very well in our lifetime and after we might have long gone. Given you this scholarship is a challenge for you to make sure that you get 5.0 CGPA, and ensure that in any institution that you find yourself, you do very well”.
“Once again, I want to thank the major sponsors of this event that brought happiness and smile to the faces of the families of the beneficiaries. My warning is that, since you have been giving this opportunity, you should go back and make sure that you read and do very well.
He enjoined beneficiaries to take advantage of the ICT programme being conducted by the Ikorodu Division Resource Development Group, under the Chairmanship of Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, at the Ikorodu Town Hall, to update and increase their ICT knowledge.
Otunba Ganiyu Olusegun, Executive Secretary, IDPIL, said that the body is created to compliment government’s efforts in bringing about economic and social developments in Ikorodu.
He said that the emergence of the security architecture has brought about improvement of security in Ikorodu Division, compared to the situations before its emergence.
“The Ikorodu Division Peace Initiative is an institutional catalyst aimed essentially to accelerate the socio-economic factors of the divisions, by putting in place sustainable security system and arrangements that will complement the effort of the government at all levels, with the aim of ensuring safety of lives and properties, thus, facilitating the promotion of peace, prosperity and commerce”, he said.
“As you would have noticed, the coming on board of this security outfit has drastically reshaped our security narratives, improved and enhanced substantially the security architecture of Ikorodu division. It is, therefore, gratifying to observe that in Ikorodu division today, we can now sleep with our two eyes closed.
“I want to particularly appeal to all other organizations involved in the security of the division, on the need for us all to work in harmony to avert working at cross purposes, thereby, defeating the noble objective of ensuring a secured and friendly community that works for all.
He said that IDPIL is committed to supporting educational development in the Division.
“The presentation of cheques to 200 awardees from our education endowment fund, is in fulfillment of our community driven “SHEER” agenda which amongst others, covers education. It is our belief that a nation or community which neglects the importance of education is undoubtedly on the path of destruction, as education is the fulcrum upon which all other socio- economic and political developments rest upon”, Otunba Abiru said.
‘I want to congratulate our lucky awardees and charge them to be good ambassadors. We have all your information at our disposal, and we shall continue to monitor your progress, particularly as it affects your education.
“I also want to reassure those who are unable to be among the successful ones not to lose hope, but to prepare for the next edition in year 2024”, he added.
Chairman, IDPIL, Scholarship and Bursary Award Committee, Hon. (Chief) Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, speaking earlier, said that some of the beneficiaries of the IDPIL scholarship and bursary award that graduated this year, justified the support that they received.
She assured that the body will continue to provide support for indigent and brilliant students in attaining the pursuit of their education.
“Exactly one year ago, this scholarship and bursary award was formally instituted with about 187 undergraduates benefiting from the fund. Some of these beneficiaries have now gone ahead to make us proud by excelling in their various academic pursuits”, she said.
“I am proud to inform this August gathering that, one of the beneficiaries of our maiden scholarship award, Miss Azeezat Dolamu Rufai from Ijede, recently graduated with a first class Honours and emerged the best graduating student 2023 in her department at the Lagos state University.
“The second edition of this award presentions is holding to further provide financial support to our teeming brilliant students and other indigent undergraduate across the federation.
“To this end, my committee, expectedly had a herculean task in shortlisting 200 beneficiaries for today’s event, out of thousands that applied and I must confess that, it was also an interesting exercise for us as we were impressed by the abundance of brilliant undergraduates coming out of Ikorodu division’s communities”, she said.
His Royal Majesties, Oba Semiudeen Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo and Oba Bashir Shotonwa, the Sekumade of Ipakodo, in their royal remarks, commended the IDPIL for its efforts and charged benefitting students to make good use of the educational support.
Some of the beneficiaries that spoke with THE IMPACT, commanded IDPIL for the gesture.
Abibat Olawunmi Abdulraman, Department of Pharmacology Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, and a beneficiary of the Bursary 1 award:
“I feel so happy, and so excited because with the rate at which most of the youths of our day are saying that school is a scam, it shows that academic excellence is actually been awarded. If you are a very serious student and you pursue academic excellence, there is always a reward for. This is part of the academic rewards”, she said.
“I want to say a very big thank you to Ikorodu Division Peace Initiative (IDPIL), for this scholarship award. May God continue to empower them so that they can sponsor more beneficiaries. This initiative is something we look forward to and I am sure it is going to encourage other people to put more efforts into academic studies. I want to say thank you to IDPIL”.
Sholanke Abimbola, 200L, Accounting Department, Lagos State University, Ojo and beneficiary of Bursary I:
“First of all, I will like to thank IDPIL for the opportunity giving to me to be part of the beneficiaries. This money is going to go a long way in supporting me, because I am an accountant. I will use it to pursue my professional accountancy qualifications in ICAN.
“IDPIL has been doing great things. I don’t want them to relent. They should keep on pushing for the growth of Ikorodu division as a whole”.
Abubakar Rodiat Adedamola: 400 level Law student:
“I think this is a worthwhile venture. This is my second time of being a beneficiary of the scholarship. I was in category of Bursary 1 last year, but now in category of Bursary 2”.
“This has helped me a lot in terms of my education, because as a beneficiary of the first one, I think I bought a laptop with it which I am still using. This one as well, it will serve as a support for my education and this is worthwhile. IDPIL has been doing wonderfully well with education and other things”.
Lawal Akeem Mayowa, University of Ibadan, beneficiary of Bursary 1:
“I will like to express my profound gratitude to the creator of the scheme, because with the removal of subsidy, there has been an increment in school fees, so, this scheme will offer and allow most of us the opportunity to pay our fees and pursue our education.
“I really like to thank them once again. They are doing very well by supporting the government with their efforts”.
