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By Bayo Davids
The member representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Osun State, Oluwole Oke has extended his scholarship scheme in technical education to over 1,000 students spread across the three senatorial districts of the State.
After a week-long evaluation exercise overseen by the quality assurance team from the lawmaker’s constituency office, about N10m was allocated to cater for enrolment form fees and school fees for first-year students at colleges in Osogbo, Ara, Otan, Gbongan, Ile-Ife, Inisa, Osu, Iwo, and Ijebu-Jesa.
The allocation also covers payments for students in both the first and second years at Ijeda-Ijebu-Jesa Technical College.
A statement issued by the media unit, Office of Oluwole Oke noted that the scholarship programme “Extends beyond financial support. It is designed as a mentoring model aimed at fostering self-reliance, job creation capabilities, skill-building, and a spirit of community service. The initiative has been widely acclaimed, with students expressing profound gratitude for the opportunity to pursue their educational goals.”
The statement noted that students and teachers alike have praised the initiative, citing its transformative impact on their lives and their dreams.
“For instance, Adebayo Oluwanifemi, the class captain of Year 1 students at Government Technical College, Ara, expressed heartfelt thanks and prayers for Hon Wole Oke and his team.
“Similarly, Izu Emmanuel, the class captain of Year I in Government Technical College, Ile-Ife, spoke on behalf of his mates, thanking Hon Wole Oke profusely.
“A female student, Obasi Ada of the Textile Department of GTC, Gbongan, originally from Cross River State, was overwhelmed with emotion, acknowledging that without the scholarship, her parents could not afford her education.
“In Osogbo GTC, a young girl was moved to tears, recounting how the scholarship has changed her life from hawking sachet water to attending school. She expressed deep gratitude, noting that the scholarship has brought relief to her family and given her a chance at a better future.”
The statement quoted her as saying, “In my life, how could I have ever imagined seeing myself among students in a school like this? I have never thought of the possibility. I have been hawking sachet water to school, but this scholarship changed my story and gave my parents and family so much rest.”
Speaking on the scholarship scheme, Oke, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, said, “We must begin industrialisation of our country through the kind of education that we give our children. Industrialised countries do not have the volume of manpower and intelligence that Nigeria is endowed with. We must start from our state.
“We are determined to lead a silent revolution in the country, starting with our state, Osun, by promoting technical education and skill acquisition, an often-overlooked area in the national academic curriculum. Our efforts are focused on empowering young people with practical skills, making them more employable and self-sufficient.
“Our target is 2000. This initiative has seen us sponsor 1,000 students across various technical colleges in Osun State, not capturing those who have graduated from the Ijeda-Ijebu-Jesa centre in the last five years. By equipping young people with technical skills, we are empowering them to become entrepreneurs, innovators, employers of labour and leaders in their respective fields of endeavours.”