Wale Jagun & Mariam Akinloye
-Winner of Oba Shotobi & The Bee gets N12million worth of scholarship
As pledged by the Ikorodu royal family, 20 pupils across various primary school in Ikorodu division, have been awarded scholarship by Olori Abosede Kudirat Shotobi, the Treasure of Ikorodu Kingdom and wife of Oba Kabiru Shotobi, the Ayangbure of lkorodu, as part of her educational support for children.
The scholarship scheme, which started nine years ago with five students as beneficiaries, over the years, increased the beneficiaries, and this year, 20 pupils benefitted from the educational support.
At the presentation ceremony which took place at the Ayangbure palace on Tuesday, December 24, 5 best pupils from this year’s Oba Ayangbure & The Bee Spelling Competition and 15 others that were selected through an examination organised by the Ikorodu Local Government Education Authority, were given the sum of N50, 000 each.
The winner of the spelling bee, Miss Idris Zeenat Temitope, was presented with a dummy cheque of N12million as the star prize.
The spelling bee winner, alongside the two runners-up: Abdul – Warith Yakubu and Ifeanyi Emmanuel (second and third positions respectively) also got enrolled at new private colleges in Ikorodu, while the best student in the Olori Shotobi scholarship examination, was the fourth pupil that also got full scholarship to study in a private secondary school.
Olori Shotobi, welcoming the beneficiaries, parents and other guests, commended the students for their efforts to excel.
She urged them and the guests to ensure that the principles of the yuletide season are practiced.
“As we gather together to celebrate this joyous season of Christmas, I am filled with immense happiness and pride to share this special time with all of you. Christmas is a season of love, joy and giving. A time when we come together as a community to celebrate the spirit of kindness and compassion.
“This year has been one of learning and growth for all of us. Each of you has worked so hard in your studies during the year, and I am incredibly proud of your dedication and achievements. You have shown resilience, curiosity and a desire to learn, which are qualities that will take you far in life.
“As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember the importance of love and generosity. Christmas is not just about receiving gift, but also about giving from the heart. It is a time to show kindness to those around us, to help those in need and to be grateful for the blessings we have.
“May this festive season fill your heart with joy and your homes with warmth and laughter. Cherish the time spent with your family and friends, and make wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Remember to spread love and happiness wherever you go”, she said.
In his royal remarks, Oba Kabir Shotobi said that the royal family has made tremendous improvement on the scholarship initiative.
“We started nine years ago, but five years ago, we introduced another dimension into it. We started giving scholarship with five pupils, and we increase it to six, from six to ten, from ten to twelve, now we give scholarship to twenty pupils.
‘We are able to give special four scholarships to some pupils. Four got scholarship that will see them through from JSS 1 to SSS 3, free of charge. Schools that are accepting them have acknowledged our request and they are ready to assist the children of the less privileged.
“God in His infinity mercy will assist us so that next year, we will be able to do more, and from the testimony that we got today, the programme is really impacting”.
Oba Shotobi, who said that the beneficiaries were picked through an open and fair process, also urged parents not to be despair at the economic situation in the country which he said is going to improve.
Mr Rotimi Erogbogbo, Chairman, Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS), commended the Ikorodu royal family for supporting the children and preparing them for tomorrow.
He commended Olori Shotobi for sustaining the scholarship for nine years, and making educational development of young ones paramount to her.
The IKODASS Chairman also thanked the schools that are partnering with the Ayangbure palace to provide full scholarship for the children.
He charged parents to pay more attention to their children and guide them properly.
Mr Amusa Afolabi, Education Secretary, Ikorodu Local Government Education Authority, also commended Olori Shotobi for providing children whom he said are brilliant but are from less privileged parents, the opportunity to get good education and develop.
He welcomed Oba Shotobi’s pledge to further expand the scholarship for more students to benefit.
The initiator of the Oba Ayangbure Spelling Bee, Mr Dayo Phillip, while also speaking, commended the royal family for their support for the initiative which he said is getting better every year.
He announced that aside from the scholarship, there are also 10 laptops donated by sponsors, that will be given to the spelling bee participants.
