Aminat Babatunde
An Ilorin-based socio-cultural organisation, the Ilorin Emirate Compatriots, has given out bursary to outstanding indigent secondary students.
The students numbering 10 and of Ilorin origin, were selected from various schools within the Emirate.
The presentation to the beneficiaries was held at the held at the IEDPU Secretariat,Geri Alimi Area, Ilorin, Kwara State.
Speaking at the occasion, the President of organisation, the Ilorin ,Mallam Saliu Ojibara, appealed to stakeholders to encourage learners to think positively and rationally rather than just learning the facts of their various curricular.
Ojibara,who is a renowned chartered Accountant,while arguing that the essence of education is building of creativity in learners,added that it was very important for the nation’s education system to be tailored towards bringing out innate qualities in students.
This according to him, will make grow up to become, not only outstanding in learning and character, but also develop technical and entrepreneural skills, which will turn them into employers of labour instead of job seekers after the completion of their various courses of studies.
Ojibara congratulated the winners for their successes at winning the highly-competitive awards.
He encouraged winners and other students to be determined and focused, saying that the future belongs to those who are resilient in the pursuit of functional knowledge.
The former frontline staff of the Nigerian Television Authority commended the those members who sponsored the awards with their widow’s mite for their alluring patriotism and generousity.
He also paid glowing tributes to the memory of two deceased members of the Association,Alhaji Shehu Laaro and Alhaji Abdullahi Alabi,for their unforgettable services and commitment to the growth and development of the Ilorin Emirate,saying history will forever be kind to them for the several roles they played while they were on this side of existence and most particularly in the course of their membership of the Ilorin Emirate Compatriots.
Also speaking,Hajiya N. Ibrahim,who represented the Kwara State Ministry of Education on the occasion,said that the Government of Kwara State was serious in the pursuit of its policy of “Every child counts”, saying that every hand must be on deck towards ensuring that our children, who are leaders of tomorrow, acquired qualitative education at minimum cost.
While commending the initiatives of the Ilorin Emirate Compatriots for encouraging and rewarding academic excellence among youngsters, particularly those from humble background, she encouraged the association to do more by extending such helping hands to encourage learning in the emirate society.
She noted that while Ilorin Emirate could no longer be described as educationally backward, more efforts should be geared towards ensuring that the rate at which qualitative education is imparted and acquired is sustained for the community to remain in the forefront of the socio-economic and education map of Nigeria.
The event was graced by the Acting National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union, Alhaji Yahaya O.Ahmed;his immediate predecessor,Ambassador Sheikh Usman AbdulAzeez and a retired Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Alhaji Abdulmumini Abdul Malik among other prominent indigenes of the Emirate.
