Foundation sponsors 300 students for 2020 WASSCE in Osun

No fewer than 300 students drawn from 70 public senior secondary schools in Ijesaland received cheques for the payment of their 2019 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), courtesy of the Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi Foundation (AYFF) scholarship scheme.

The presentation ceremony which was held at the Damol Events Centre, Ilesa, with Professor Isaac Adewole as the chairman of the occasion, drew dignitaries, including royal fathers led by His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II.

Community leaders, parents and students who spoke to Nigerian Tribune unanimously confirmed that the scheme is drastically turning the community around.

While responding on behalf of the parents of the beneficiaries, Mrs Janet Babalola, an indigene of Ipetu-Ile, said “we are indebted to Chief Yinka Fasuyi for his kind gesture. He may not know the worth of the good that he is doing in the land right now until later in the future.

“Asiwaju is building our children’s hope in education and establishing a legacy worthy of emulation.”

The All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS) vice president and principal, Community Grammar School, Erinmo,  Mr Julius Olawore, described  AYFF’s scholarship programme as a welcome development in the history of educational advancement in Ijesaland.

He noted the AYFF’s financial assistance came when many parents in Ijesa could not afford to pay their children’s WASSCE registration fees due to financial constraints.

“The scheme has generated academic competition and excellence among students in  the six local government areas in Ijesa, as every student now aspires to win  the AYFF scholarship which is based on  academic performance in the mock examination conducted for all the senior secondary schools in Osun State by the state government,” Mr Olawore said.

Miss Miracle Dickson, the Senior Girl of Erinmo Community Grammar School, Erinmo, in her remarks thanked the benefactor on behalf of other beneficiaries for the scholarship.

She said, “The scholarship has been a blessing to all the recipients, as its existence is also boosting reading culture in our community.”

The chairman of the occasion, former Minister of Health, Professor  Isaac Adewole, commended Chief Fasuyi’s efforts at sustaining the scholarship scheme which started three years ago. He appealed to other philanthropists in Ijesa to take up the challenge of also investing in education.

His Imperial Majesty, Oba(Dr) Adekunle Aromlaran II, commended the continued  efforts of Chief Fasuyi,  towards education  and economic empowerment in Ijesaland.

He encouraged the recipients to face their studies and aslo advised them to go for self-employable professions at the tertiary institution level.

The founder of the foundation, Chief Yinka Fasuyi in his response reiterated that the vision and mission of the foundation is to foster unity among communities in Ijesaland, improve the quality of education and promote excellence through scholarship, especially among secondary schools in the land.

He said: “I’m attributing AYFF’s success story to God Almighty. I am   also indebted to our royal fathers for their moral support towards the programmes since its inception in 2017.

“AYFF mission has always been to impact lives. The scholarship scheme started with 100 students from 20 public secondary schools in Ijesaland in 2017. It was increased to 250 in 1918. This year, God has helped us to increase it to 300 students drawn from all the public secondary schools in Ijesa.   So far, 650 students have benefited from the scheme. We intend to increase it in the subsequent years.