Kunle Adelabu
-Commended for performances
The four model school scholars of the Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe Educational Foundation, have been presented scholarship award for the second year of their Junior Secondary School (JSS) education, ahead of resumption on Monday.
The sum of 146, 000 naira was presented through the Dr. Akinola Ogunlewe STEM Centre (AOSTEM Centre), an e – learning centre offering free computer training to students and youths in Igbogbo, for the students’ registration into JSS 2, on Wednesday.
The beneficiaries usually get their educational support every term and a total of 420,000 naira (105,000 per student) were released as scholarship for their JSS 1.
Alhaji Quddus Oduntan, Director, AOSTEM Centre, welcoming the scholars and their parents to the presentation ceremony, said that the center is celebrating its scholars who have made them proud with their academic and moral performances.
“Today, we are celebrating our ambassadors at AOSTEM for making us proud, and God will continue to grant you wisdom.
“We started last year, and after a thorough process that involved over 40 students, four of you emerged as our model school scholars.
“You will recall that many of you came from different schools, but four of you scaled through and we obtained the model schools forms for you. Five of you actually qualified for the examinations, but four of you passed.
“Since then, Senator Adeseye Kingsley Ogunlewe Educational Foundation, which is an affiliation of AOSTEM, has been providing you with scholarship which will last “throughout your Junior Secondary School education”, Alhaji Quddus said.
While appreciating their performances in their first year, the AOSTEM Director also charged them to continue to be improve their academic performances.
He thanked parents and urged them to provide them with necessary support that they needed to excel academically.
“From the first-year report of your preferences, we are happy with your performances and today, we are glad to announce to you that you are getting the scholarship fund for your year two.
‘‘The foundation is still willing and ready to give you the scholarship and continue to support your educational growth.
“Now that you are resuming for the second year of the academic session, Sen. Ogunlewe asked us to thank you, parents and guidance, for your effort over them, and added that you should endeavour to give them maximum support in terms of their focus on their activities in school.
“They are our ambassadors and we care about their developments in all respects. We are proud of them that we did not hear any bad report regarding any of them within the first year. We are always in contact with the school to know how they are doing, but there has never been cause to worry about them.
“While we want them to improve on their academic records, we also want them to maintain their morals too”, he said.
The AOSTEM Director also stated that the scholarship can be extended into their senior classes if they impress the sponsor with their academic performances.
“This scholarship runs through the whole session; that means we give each of you support three times within a year (first, second and third term).
“If you perform very well in your JSS class, we are promising you that the scholarship will extend to your SSS classes, and the only way to be encouraged to do that is if you show good academic standing”, he said.
He charged them to also key into the AOSTEM Centre, by coming to the centre to enroll for training in computer education, so as to be savvy in ICT which he said is the future.
Alhaji Oduntan, again, appealed to the parents to always allow them to come for computer training durng their holidays, to enable them to be trained and prepared for the future.
The Executive Secretary, Ikorodu Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), Alhaji Afolabi Amusa, commended the AOSTEM initiative, and thanked Senator Ogunlewe for awarding scholarship which he said will go a long way in impacting on the beneficiaries.
“The reason you are here is that amongst many, you were chosen to benefit from the scholarship programme being sponsored by Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe. This is an opportunity for you to improve yourself and be somebody in future.
“You are being assisted into Oriwu College, lkorodu, through scholarship and there is no way that you can compare Oriwu College with Oreyo Grammar School or compare Civil Service Model College with Zumratul Islammiyyah Grammar School.
“Now that you have somebody that is 80 years plus and who is supposed to be living on his donations from young ones, sponsoring you, you should appreciate it. You must utilize the opportunity’’, Alhaji Amusa said.
Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, a former Minister of Works and initiator of AOSTEM and educational scholarship, was represented at the event by Mrs Yetunde Badejo, a member of the AOSTEM management board.
While commending the initiator and sponsor, Mrs Badejo added that the AOSTEM and the scholarship were initiated due to his passion for education and development of youths, especially those in Igbogbo.
“It is the love and passion for education that our daddy has that brought about this scholarship, and he wants the best for our children in Igbogbo Kingdom.
“He also feel that our children have to be developed technologically. That is what brought about the AOSTEM Centre. When he developed the vison, it was all about science, because we all know what is operating out there.
“Instead of you going about looking for job, if you have STEM knowledge, jobs will look for you.
“We want to appreciate our ambassdors for the first year that you have spent in junior secondary school. You have made us proud, but you can do much better.
“Senator Ogunlewe wants you to put more efforts into your studies. There is nothing wrong in getting 100% since there are students that are attaining that and we pray God should guide you as you resume for the JSS II class on Monday.
“We want to believe that you are going back to school on Sunday for the Monday’s resumption with the determination to do better. It is through this that you can achieve excellence in your studies”, she said.
Mrs Badejo also advised them not to associate with wrong peers or group that will pull them down, but that they should choose their friends carefully.
Also speaking, Hon. Yinka Ogunlaja, Coordinator, AOSTEM, also commended the beneficiaries of the scholarship, and also charged them to improve their academic performances.
“I am happy to see these beautiful ambassadors of AOSTEM. You have represented us and you did not disappoint us.
“Today, we gather here to celebrate not just your academic performances, but also your moral uprightness.
“You are our pioneer ambassadors of this foundation and AOSTEM, and we want you to be focused and improve on your academics and moral attitude. If you do this, we can assure you that this foundation will continue to be proud of you and give you maximum support”, he said.
Comrade Abdulsalam Tijani, the AOSTEM Administrative Officer who gave the analysis of the students’ performances at the presentation of the award, said that their initial average performaces was caused by late resumption.
He added that they improved significantly in their second term, and impressed in the third term.
“Initial average results were due to late enrollment and delayed results. But there was significant improvement in the second term, competing with their peers.
“They were, however, mpressive in the third-term results of their first year – Miss. Arowolo Balikis – 70.3%; Miss. Ogunlewe Rodiat – 70.1%, Miss. Awolesi Deborah – 68.5% and Miss. Oladunni Moridiyat – 58.9%.
While thanking the Chairman and the entire AOSTEM management for their commitment , Abdulsalam said that the students were supported to prepare ahead of their resumption with an ongoing coaching.
Mrs Toyin Awolesi, parent of one of the beneficiaries, thanked the AOSTEM for the opportunity given to her daughter to attend a model college.
Another parent, Mrs Oladimeji Abosede, also commended AOSTEM, and she singled out the AOSTEM Chairman for praise for assisting her family and providing opportunities for her daughter.
She said that she desired for her daughter to attend a model college, but unfortunately, she was sick during the admission process last year.
Mrs Oladimeji said that she was delighted when she heard that Sen. Ogunlewe has provided her daughter with scholarship.
Miss Arowolo Bilikis, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, also thanked AOSTEM for the sustained support for their education.
