OBASAN OLUWAFUNSO
Before the advent of the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration in Ogun State, little did anyone, particularly, the gifted academically, those students that stood high amongst their colleagues at their various higher institution of learning know that a new sheriff would soon be in town.
The sheriff in question put an abrupt end to the best brains in our tertiary institutions going home with just a paltry amount for being academically sound throughout their years of study without too much play, the arrival of the academically sound sheriff ensured a new lease of life for the best graduating students in tertiary institutions across the state.
One good thing that this new development brought into the state was the hope of the best brains in tertiary institutions cited within the state going home with a huge amount of money, Prince Dapo Dapo Abiodun has created a new tradition of ensuring that the best students go back home as millionaires.
Ogun State, no doubt is home to the highest numbers of tertiary institutions in the country, ranging from the state owned universities, polytechnics, college of education and the Federal Government owned tertiary institutions.
So setting the pace for other states of the federation and the federal government to follow seems the right path to take by the present administration in the state, knowing fully well that the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration in the state would continue to reward excellence in whatever guide.
On the 23rd day of December, 2021 at the 2nd and 3rd convocation ceremony of the Mountain Top University in Ogun State where a certain Miss Oluseyi Daniella Olubunmi from the department of Economics had a 4.96 Cumulative Gross Point, Governor Dapo Abiodun began the process of erasing the past of giving paltry cash awards to excellent students with the announcement of a cash reward of one million naira and an automatic employment.
That announcement by the Ogun State Governor in 2021 began an era where the best graduating students in the state, irrespective of whether the institution is owned by the state or not began to go home with a million-naira cash award with an automatic appointment, we saw an end to best graduating students going home with a cash award not even good enough to survive for a week, talk less of a month.
Rewarding excellence is in the DNA of the Ogun State Government led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, he has institutionalized that award for the best graduating tertiary students in honour of his late father, Dr. Emmanuel Abiodun who died recently.
It should be noted that the one-million-naira cash reward is coming from the purse of Governor Dapo Abiodun and not from the purse of the Ogun State Government, the reward system recently introduced is only meant to establish a healthy atmosphere where academic excellence could also be rewarded side by side with other areas.
The passion, love and sympathy shown by Governor Dapo Abiodun over the years resonated once again when he decided to float an education program in honor of his late son, Olugbemiga Abiodun, who was a renowned Disc Jockey with an unmeasured passion for sound education.
Gbemiga Abiodun no doubt had an innate passion for music and rhythms at a very tender age, a passion that was well watered with the 100% support of his parents, a support which played a pivotal role in his early rise and global recognition as a disc jockey and also drew him closer to the best of Nigerian musicians.
He was a well-educated lad who was on the verge of resuming for his master’s program when death struck and took away the young, loving, God-fearing and a vibrant soul of the Abiodun family.
According to his father who is the present Governor of Ogun State, Gbemiga lived a life of generosity rooted in great passion of selflessness for those around him, he was down to heart, friendly, God- fearing, a friend to all and very accommodating.
The Gbemiga Abiodun Memorial Education Program initiated by the Governor of Ogun State is simply an avenue to continue and sustain Gbemiga Abiodun’s passion for giving and kindness, it was innate for Gbemiga.
The Education Program would cater for indigent learners of public primary, secondary schools, technical colleges and tertiary institutions, as well as special needs learners who are from Remo Federal Constituency.
One good thing from the launching of the program was the announcement by Governor Dapo Abiodun that the program would soon be replicated across the state, even though Gbemiga Abiodun hails from Remoland, other brilliant indigent students from other parts of the state would soon start to enjoy the education largesse.
Even though, the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun introduced free education in both the primary and secondary schools when it came on board in 2019, the coming on board of the Gbemiga Abiodun Memorial Education Program would only address areas such as the purchase of books and uniforms, as school fees has been taken care of by the free education policy of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The Gbemiga Abiodun Memorial Education Program is for indigent learners of public primary, secondary schools, technical colleges and tertiary institutions as well as special needs learners within Ikenne, Remo North and Sagamu Local Government areas with a view of providing support to selected learners.
To ensure fairness in the process of picking those that are relevant to the cause of Gbemiga Abiodun Memorial Education Program, the selection was done by the GA Education Program Coordinating Team and the state ministry of Education, Science and Technology using the cumulative promotion examination results obtainable from the Ogun State Education Revitalization Agenda {OGSERA} platform and other parameters.
The education award is in two parts; the first part is a ‘Scholarship Award’ designed for indigent and brilliant students while the other is a ‘Bursary Award’ for in-need but not necessarily so brilliant indigent students whose chances of upward social economic mobility will be facilitated probable with bursary support.
In the first instance, the Gbemiga Abiodun Memorial Education Program would give out support to 550 indigene students in the first instance and will grow to 1000 students in twelve months.
A sum of 50,000 Naira would be given out to primary school awardees yearly, 100,000 for secondary school awardees yearly, while a sum of 250,000 for tertiary awardees yearly for as long as they remain in school till they finish their studies in their category.
It is important to note that the funds for the awards would be endowed in a trust that will sustain the payment of these bursaries and scholarship awards for years to come.
The Gbemiga Abiodun Memorial Education Program has defiantly come to stay as Governor Dapo Abiodun would continue to ensure the success of the program, as it is meant to continue to sustain the spirit of Love, Passion for Education, Compassion and Sympathy that Gbemiga Abiodun represented while alive.
Obasan Oluwafunso writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
