By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
A total of 4,219 Nigerians of varied background, have so far benefited from the annual Wole Olanipekun Scholarship and empowerment programmes, which began variously since year 1996, with millions of Naira, expended on the two projects.
Legal icon and elder statesman, Chief Wole Olanipekun, (SAN), who is the sponsor of the twin projects, made this known in Ikere-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti, his country home on Saturday, at the 28th Scholarship Award Scheme, and 5th Empowerment Programme of the annual event.
According to him, while giving a breakdown, the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme, (WOSS), founded since 1996, alone, had produced a total of 3,019 beneficiaries .
He said the figure, included successful professionals, who are now of diverse grades doing well in their areas of specialisation in the country today, while for this year alone, the scholarship arrangement ,covers 150 beneficiaries, and had been extended to some students, who needed urgent and critical attention, as at the time.
He said, as for the Wole Olanipekun Foundation, (WOF), Empowerment Programme, which commenced five years ago, a total of 200 widows, 200 aged people, and 400 young entrepreneurs had so far been attended to, making a total of 800 persons, while for this year alone, 50 widows, 50 aged people, and 150 young entrepreneurs also benefited.
He said he drew his inspiration for such gestures, on the fact that he once tasted poverty, and knew how it pinched, saying the best way to give back to the society, was to bail out those in dire need.
While admonishing the various beneficiaries to continually make judicious use of whatever was allocated to them, Olanipekun also charged them, and other advantaged Nigerians to emulate his kind of attitude to life, as government alone can not shoulder all responsibilities
He thanked Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, for creating an enabling environment that had made it easy, and less stressful for private partners, in joining his administration, to lift the state, in all areas of human life.
Speaking, the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado, commended the public spirited gestures of Olanipekun, who he described as an outstanding, and distinguished leader of the kingdom.
The traditional ruler, used the occasion to call on young men and women of the community, emulate Olanipekun, by shunning the irresponsible ideals of lazy, and get-rich-syndrom, like yahoo, yahoo, and rather face the realities of life, which he said, can only be enduring in hard work, and perseverance.
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr. SS Omoyeni, the Chairman, Board of trustees of Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme, thanked the sponsor, Olanipekun, for his interest and support for the education of brilliant, but indigent students of diverse backgrounds.
He said the scholarship, covers three areas, including those in secondary education level, university undergraduates, and Law School candidates.
While appreciating Olanipekun for supporting his administration’s education and employment drive, governor Oyebanji, who was physically present on the occasion, commended his spirit of patriotism, and admonished him on the need to continually sustain the two programmes.
The governor also called on other well-meaning Ekiti indigens to emulate the selfless service, which Olanipekun had exemplified, for Ekiti to move forward.