The Corporate Headquarters of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), at Oba-Ile, Akure, was agog as the State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, officially flagged off applications for 2023/2024 scholarship/bursary award for higher institution students from the mandate areas.

The annual event is an initiative of the interventionist agency to assist undergraduate and postgraduate students studying various courses in different tertiary institutions across the country with financial grants.

With the flag off, all eligible students are to apply online (osopadecbursaryform.org).

Represented by the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Mr. Laolu Akindolire, Governor Aiyedatiwa stressed that his administration is deeply committed to the advancement of education in the mandate areas and the state in general.

While passing a vote of confidence in the Secretary of the Commission, Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole, for the significant success recorded within her short time in office, Governor Aiyedatiwa advised beneficiaries to remain good ambassadors of the state in their respective campuses and make good use of the stipends.

In a separate goodwill message, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Wumi Ilawole, and SA on OSOPADEC Affairs, Orokotan Omokunle Gbenga, stressed that the financial assistance for students from the OSOPADEC mandate areas reflected the commitment of the Aiyedatiwa-led government to support the students’ academic pursuits and to help them achieve their full potential.

According to Ilawole: “The scholarship/bursary awards in Ondo State generally reflect the government’s commitment to ensuring that every student in Ondo State has access to quality education, regardless of their socio-economic background. We believe education is the key to unlocking the full potential of our people, and we are committed to investing in the future of our state by investing in the education of our students.”

Dr. Ilawole further highlighted the giant strides and achievements of the Aiyedatiwa-led administration in ensuring that the Sunshine State takes the lead in educational advancement and human capital development within the last 10 months of his tenure.

Among these achievements were: the increase of bursaries from N10,000 to N20,000, N100,000 financial support for students in Law School, the release of funds to complete abandoned projects in Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, and an increase in subvention for Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions.

Other achievements include: payment of a backlog of salary arrears for staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo (RUGIPO), approval of N750m WAEC fees for 26,088 students in certificate classes across the 18 local government areas of the state, and the recent approval of N3.5B for primary school projects across the state.

She expressed confidence in the students’ ability to utilize their exceptional talents and potential to make significant contributions to the development of Ondo State and the country at large.

In her remarks, the Secretary of the Commission, Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole, expressed gratitude to the state governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for his visionary leadership and steadfast support for the Commission’s programmes.

While advising eligible students to apply online (osopadecbursaryform.org), she called on the students and school authorities to cooperate with the Commission to make the process seamless and successful, assuring that, in no distant time, the Commission hopes to complete the 2023/2024 scheme and proceed to the 2024/2025 award to prevent carryover.

Aside from the payment of bursaries and scholarships to students in higher institutions, the Secretary also elaborated on other interventions of the Commission aimed at uplifting the standard of education in the mandate areas.

She said: “Our efforts to make life comfortable for our people in the mandate areas (Ilaje and Ese-Odo) go beyond this support for students in higher institutions. We are equally looking at the fundamental educational development of our primary and secondary schools. We have procured textbooks and over 2,000 pieces of furniture which will be distributed to our schools tomorrow.”

Speaking further, Princess Bayo-Ilawole said the Commission is also focusing on infrastructural development. Mr. Governor has approved the first phase, which is the renovation of 21 schools across Ilaje and Ese-Odo. The second phase will commence shortly, which will involve replacing wooden buildings with concrete structures.

The Commission’s first female secretary emphasised that the Commission recently organized a 3-day seminar for teachers to boost their capacities. She noted that the Commission is collaborating with relevant bodies, including the State Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), to post teachers to primary and secondary schools in the mandate areas.

Also present at the event were Mrs. Asambe (Clerk of the Ondo State House of Assembly Committee on OSOPADEC), top management and staff of the Commission, as well as representatives of the National Association of Ilaje Students (NAIS) and the Federation of Ese-Odo Local Government Students (FELGOS).