By Fisayo Akinduro, Osogbo

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Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola said his administration was concerned about building next generation leaders in the State.
He described this concern as the motivation behind organising the Independence Day 2021 Osun State Government Essay Competition.
This was as Miss Adegboyega Abisola Faith from Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, emerged the winner for secondary school category, while Master Adeyemo Victor Ayodeji, a medical student from Bowen University and indigene of Odo-Otin Local Government won the tertiary institution category.
Oyetola who was represented by his Deputy, Olugboyega Alabi, at the Grand Finale of the essay competition, said: “This essay competition recommends itself highly as a platform for stimulating excellence among our students. It charges them not only to be imaginative as active producers of relevant ideas for nation-building, but to also courageously ventilate such ideas unashamedly in the public space.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Lekan Badmus appreciated the state governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving Osun 2021 essay competition among students of secondary and tertiary Institutions as part of the activities lined up to mark the 61st Independence Day of Nigeria.
He further disclosed that the Ministry of Regional Integration and Special Duties received 700 entries from 34 participating schools of private and public higher Institutions across the country. Eentries were also received from 23 local government areas of the State and also from non-indigenes.
According to Badmus: “Today, our dear state has assembled sizeable population of youths to think and suggest probable solutions to the challenges facing us as a nation. To some people, this might not sound interesting as Osun State government has thought-out-of-box and moved away from the conventional March past to this assemblage.
In his keynote address, the Chairman of the event, Lt. General Lamidi Adeosun (rtd), gave kudos to the governor for giving students the opportunity to participate in the essay competition.
He described the event as a thing of joy, adding that in a world where negative activities have become the norm, Osun State has braved up to organise such a challenging event.
He charged participants and the teeming youth of the State not to relent in their efforts in contributing their quota to the development of the society, adding that education, security and other developmental needs of the state and nation, are a collective responsibility.
The winner of the maiden edition, Abosede Samson Oyinlola, lauded the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for the initiative behind the essay competition, describing it as a preparatory phase for future leaders of the State to begin to identify the problems facing the society and proffer solutions.
In his goodwill message, the Head of Service, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade, lauded Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for the initiative, stating that: “I’m a product of this kind of a competition”. He charged participants to see the prizes gotten from the exercise as a start-up pack for greater accomplishments.