Wale Jagun
-Says it is part of his call to serve
Prince Yommy Olusegun Shopitan, the former Executive Assistant (EA) to the Governor of Lagos State, has said that the gesture extended to the 120 students who are residents of Ikorodu Division, by given them free JAMB forms, is part of his efforts to give back to the community.
Shopitan served Governor Sanwo-Olu in the capacity of an Executive Assistant on Maritime Affairs, in the last two years of his first term tenure which ended in May 2023.
The free JAMB forms, tagged, ‘Oba Ayangbure Free JAMB Form’, which was supervised by The Ikorodu Ambassadors Group, were giving out to the beneficiaries at the Ayangbure palace at the weekend.
The sponsor, Prince Shopitan, who said that the he has been distributing free JAMB and GCE forms every year for the past 12 years, added that the need to continue to give back to the society, especially after his appointment by the Governor, motivated the gesture.
He said that he will continue supporting the students in Ikorodu annually with free GCE and JAMB forms.
“What really inspired me was a call to support humanity in the community. I have been doing this for about 12 years to students and giving forms to five, six, 10 and maximum 20 students at different times”, Prince Shopitan said,
“Since August 2021, I started giving out forms, not only JAMB but also GCE to 50 students, to assist the less privileged students in their academic pursuit.
“This time around, I believe that it is very essential to give back to the people because I had the privilege to serve the Governor, His Excellency, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, as his Executive Assistant on Maritime Affairs, in his first tenure for two years.
“Within the two years, I felt proud that I am from Ikorodu Division and at the end of my service in May 2023, I deemed it fit to come back home to make impacts in one way to the other. I give my responses as the situation comes.
“The first was to give out GCE forms and now it is JAMB, and it is going to be an annual thing”, he assured.
Speaking on his expectations from beneficiaries, Prince Shopitan charged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity by passing their JAMB examinations and gain admissions into various institutions of higher learning, and also emerge as professionals in their field of studies.
“My expectations and objectives are to have young graduates from different fileds of study in the next four to six years”, he said.
“We expect that all the 120 free JAMB beneficiaries will gain admission into various higher institutions of learning and in the next four to six years, we expect them to come back, make Ikorodu proud and be employable graduates.
“It is my hope that they will make us proud by giving us the best of performance at the end of the JAMB examinations by securing admission into tertiary institutions and at the end of their courses, come out with best results and also be proud ambassadors from Ikorodu Division”, Prince Shopitan said.
While charging other privilege individuals to support educational development in Ikorodu Division, Sopitan said that he is supporting those in need out of love.
“I am sure that there are many others doing this magnanimous gesture without expecting any personal thing in return other than seeing Ikorodu develop and its sons and daughters doing well”, he said.
“It is my position that many other privileged individuals will surely do so. It is out of love and not resources. I am doing this out of my little resources. I feel like it is a call to serve”.
The Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, the Adegorushen V, said that that the donor deserved commendations for his gesture towards educational development in the division.
“Though, the free 120 JAMB forms to students in Ikorodu seems little, but it will make great impacts. We have to appreciate the person that is giving. There are still going to be others that are still going to give out JAMB forms”, the royal father said.
“We have to encourage him so that he can do more tomorrow. It is is own way of ensuring that our children have good educational foundation and have the JAMB to get admission into the tertiary institutions”
The Administrator of the Ikorodu Ambassadors Group, Mr Adedeji Fatuga, speaking at the distribution, emphasised the importance of education while charging beneficiaries to be serious with their education.
He charged them not to take the free JAMB form for granted and make good use of it by sitting for the examination and pass with flying colours.
He commended the sponsor, Prince Yommy Shopitan, for the gesture and his love for the educational development of residents of Ikorodu, while also thanking him for choosing The Ikorodu Ambassadors to coordinate the distribution of the forms.
Some of the beneficiaries that spoke with THE IMPACT thanked the donor for the gesture.
