Makinde State Reasons for Bursary Award

The award of bursary to Oyo State students in tertiary institutions across the country by the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state, Seyi Makinde has said the institution of the scheme which dates back to some years ago was not for political reason.

This clarification was made by the governorship hopeful at the presentation of the bursary award to 1,500 students yesterday at Prof. Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

Makinde, who recalled that the scheme was instituted in 2001 said the incumbent governor of the state, Abiola Ajimobi was present when the 2006 edition was held to buttress the fact that he was not just starting the scheme because of his governorship race.

At the event attended by his running mate in the next month election, Suleiman Adediran (alias Santana), the Oyo Central SDP Senatorial candidate in the Saturday National Assembly election, Wole Oyelese, former Commissioner in the state, Micheal Akinfenwa and other notable personalities, the SDP governorship candidate said his passion for education as the gateway to breakthrough informed his decision.

Makinde noted that the 1,500 students benefiting from the scheme this year because of identified gap, adding, “we are filling the gap created by the shortcoming on the part of the government and would be the least in the years to come should he become the governor of the state”.

He said his concern about the coming generation was not about his desire to become the state governor, but to pay the duty he owes his society to leave it better than he met it, saying, “when I become the governor as noted earlier, the figure of beneficiaries will increase but not at the expense of the state government, rather, it will still be undertaken from my personal purse”.

He insisted that “if we do what is right in our society by giving our younger generation quality education to compete with anybody from across the globe, there is no time that our people will not become the controller of the much talked-about resources because the people with the natural resources will need people with knowledge”.

The chairman of the occasion, Lekan Alabi commended Makinde for the humanitarian gesture, recalling great personalities like Adegoke Adelabu (alias Penkelemesi) and the late MKO Abiola among others, whose dream of becoming great in life would have been shattered without scholarship given to them by the government of their time.

He charged the beneficiaries to make good use of the privilege by concentrating on their studies and aim at becoming successful in life and that they too should remember those coming behind them when they attain good position in life.