Out-of-school children: Fayemi’s aide advocates special fund for indigent students

SPECIAL Assistant to Ekiti State Governor on Mobilisation (South), Olalekan Ijidale, has stressed the need for government at all levels to set aside more funds to support indigent students towards reducing the number of out-of-school children.

According to Ijidale, poverty was a major factor responsible for the increase in the out-of-school crisis across the country, hence the need for special funds to be set aside by the government across all levels to address what he called a dangerous trend.

“If this is done, I believe it will help us to take more children out of the streets and take them back to schools,” he said.

The governor’s aide spoke after he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence the payment of school fees of two secondary school students he offered scholarship up till graduation in any tertiary institution of their choice in the country.

The beneficiaries are, Peke Adebanke Eunice, and Falayi Oluwadamilola Samuel.

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Ijidale had recently announced his intention to offer the students the scholarship based on their outstanding performance during the presidential debate organised by King David Leadership Academy at Peace and Joy Group of Schools, Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State.

All necessary documents to perfect the implementation of the scholarship were signed recently by him and the parents of the benefiting students at the Governor’s Office Ado Ekiti.

One of the letters reads:”Consequent to your brilliant performance in the presidential debate organised by King David Leadership Academy at Peace and Joy Group of Schools, Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, which aimed at identifying and celebrating young leaders.

I, Olalekan Ijidale hereby grants Peke Adebanke Eunice, an ex-student of Peace and Joy Group of Schools, as well as a learner in the King David Leadership Academy and Falayi Oluwadamilola Samuel, a SSS3 student from Ikere High School, a scholarship that covers the payment of your four or five years course in any Federal or State University in Nigeria.

“It is of importance to bear in mind that a minimum CGPA of 3.0 to 3.49 must be made and maintained for the sustenance of the scholarship; else it shall be permanently discontinued.

“It should also be noted that if you are able to achieve a CGPA of 3.7 and above you will be qualified to access a monthly stipend of Ten Thousand Naira Only (N10,000.00) all through the period of maintaining such grade point while the school is in session till such CGPA drops below 3.7.

“However, the scholarship would be jettisoned if you get involved in any criminal activity in school such as cultism, cyber-crime, rape, smoking, prostitution, examination malpractice or any other crime related offence.”

Ijidale said the gesture was borne out of his passion to complement the efforts of Governor Kayode Fayemi at encouraging moral and academic excellence among students and to also build a society where every child will have access to qualitative education.

He said the gesture had also been extended to some students of the Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.

In their remarks, the parents and teachers of the students, including the president of King David Leadership Academy, Prince David Adebiyi; showered encomiums on Ijidale.

The respondents, described the sponsor, “as a rare phenomenon in governance urging Ekiti State government to place him in more strategic positions so that he can touch more lives.”