Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Hamzat, has commended the Ikorodu-Oga Development Association for awarding educational scholarships to 79 indigent and non-indigent students of the community, noting that supporting the education of the young ones was indeed the most important part of impacting their future.
The deputy governor gave the commendation at the weekend at the Grand Finale of the 2024 Ikorodu Oga Day Celebration held at the Ayangburen Palace Ground, Ikorodu, saying that the support offered by the association provides the beneficiaries with essential life skills, fosters critical thinking, and encourages them to explore their curiosity.
Dr. Hamzat, while emphasizing the importance of education to any nation, said it was most important to the future of the children and, therefore, called for the expansion of the scholarship to reach more students.
“I must commend the Ikorodu Oga Development Association for coming together to award scholarships to 79 indigent and non-indigent students of the Ikorodu community.
“I am very happy that Ikorodu Oga came together to do this. For me, this is most important to the future of our children. I want you to please expand it because these are our children and they are our future,” the deputy governor said.
Speaking further, Hamzat stated that no child in Lagos should be unable to have access to quality education, reiterating that the government, communities, and individuals should do whatever they can to enlarge access to quality education within the state.
“So, whatever you need to do, please call all of us to assist in doing it. Let us enlarge the scholarship programme because it is not just for Ikorodu indigenes, but everybody. So we continue to be with you to assist our children,” he said.
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On the various developments and growth the Ikorodu community had experienced in the past years, Hamzat said that Ikorodu is a town that welcomes everybody, leading to why it is prosperous, and its indigenes have continued to develop the community.
The deputy governor noted that Ikorodu as a kingdom takes a special place in the heart of the state government, urging the people to come together to support the Ayangburen of Ikorodu Land, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi and government for a continued prosperous Lagos.
The Ayangburen of Ikorodu Land, Oba Shotobi, in his remark, said that the festival was a testament to the community’s commitment to continue to promote culture and showcase the heritage of the Ikorodu community.
The monarch added that promoting Ikorodu culture and heritage was paramount to the development and progress of the community, saying that this can only be done through the collaboration of both the government and the indigent of Ikorodu.
Oba Shotobi, therefore, urged the state government to ensure further infrastructure development in the area.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman, Ikorodu Oga Development Association, Mr. Rotimi Akeem Erogbogbo, stated that the festival was not just about culture, but also about celebrating the progress the town had made and the height it aimed to reach.
“This festival celebrates more than our culture. It honours our heritage, values, and commitment to making Ikorodo a centre for selfless service and hard work,” he said.
Erogbogbo stressed that the town’s journey invites every indigent to think about what they have left behind, time in transit, and final destination, noting that what they left behind is their history, the present is their transit, while the future is their goal.
He, however, said that the Ikorodu community does not lack in ideas, but lacks money to execute laudable projects for the growth of the people and the community, calling on all sons, daughters, and lovers of Ikorodu to come to the aid of IKODASS by donating generously to their projects.
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