Image caption: Pastor Remi Adebiyi
Remi-Bisi Adebiyi Foundation launches scholarship schemes for Ajaawa students, cash awards for teachers
Lanre OKE
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Brilliant but indigent secondary students in Ajaawa, headquarters of Ogo-Oluwa local government area of Ogbomoso zone, Oyo state, have had succour coming their way as a non-governmental organization, Remi-Bisi Adebiyi Love Foundation, has announced scholarship awards to them to sponsor their studies in selected courses post secondary school.
This is as the best male and female teachers in each of the two public secondary schools in the community – Baptist Grammar School (BGS) and Community High School (CHS) – will now annually be rewarded with a sum of fifty thousand naira (N50, 000) each.
Unveiling this goodies Wednesday during a Carol service held at the Baptist Grammar School, Ajaawa, chairman of the foundation Pastor Remi Adebiyi, said it’s the family way of giving back to the society and helps liberate Ajaawa from the shackles of unfulfilled education dreams.
Adebiyii, a lawyer and pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos, informed the award would cover courses in law, engineering, computer science, medicine, nursing and Yoruba Language, explaining the foundation would fully sponsor the university education of beneficiaries.
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Also, he disclosed secondary school students and pupils of primary schools in the community would enjoy scholarship awards urging students to be determined to excel through education.
The cleric, a member of the 1981set of the school, the pioneer set, noted attending both primary and secondary schools in the agrarian community did not limit his opportunities averring focus and drive to excel and relying on God brought him to the level he has reached.
Giving reason for the gesture he stressed his wife, Olabisi Oluwafunlayo, also a lawyer (and who was also at the event) and himself are only propelled by love and compassion to give back to the society. This is as he enumerated some of their past activities towards adding value to life, which extends beyond education.
He laced his speech with lots of motivational words to challenge the students to strive for excellence even as he announced programmes such as annual awards for best overall graduating students, best students in certain subjects, scholarships for primary schools pupils and so on.
He said, “Whatever you become in life is in your hand. We came to school here when there was no electricity, no social amenities yet we did very well. Why? Because we were determined that we would be able to compete with students coming from schools with great names. So, we have come here this afternoon, students, not only to launch this scholarship scheme and award of academic excellence scheme, but we have also come to tell you that all things are possible for you. If you make up your mind, with God on your side, you will surely make it.
“We will come from time to time to speak with you so that among you, great men and women will begin to arise. And it is our prayer that you will be great and you are going to be greater than us in Jesus name. But like I said prayer is not enough, you must work. I remember in those days my library was under the cacao tree behind my father’s house in order that nobody would disturb me. This school has produced many professionals you can be one in the future too. Make up your mind that Baptist Grammar School Ajaawa will not be my limit.
“What we have come to launch today is not new it started years back, me and my wife have the burden to give to Ajaawa, burden to give to our community because by the grace of God if the community has raised you, you will come back to give to the society. We have sponsored graduates who are working now. He is an indigene of this town. Right now as I am talking to you we have three students, they are enjoying free education.
“In the university, we have two. And another one has just entered making three. We have two studying Nursing, B.Sc. Nursing, and we have one who has just entered to study administration in the polytechnic, free education. So, we have just not come here to talk but to disclose what God has been using us to do, Last year, this foundation provided uniforms for hundred of students in the Community High School, free of charge and more of such will still come by the grace of God.
“This year alone, this foundation has been here to do empowerment for the people. And we were able to empower about 49 people. After training them, we gave them equipment to start their businesses and the testimony coming to us has it that they are running their businesses. By the grace of God this foundation has empowered many widows in Ajaawa and they run their businesses, What we have come to do today is to formally announce to you that by the special grace of God this foundation is going to a new level whereby we award scholarships and give awards of academic excellence to outstanding students just to encourage them.
“The number one on the item of what we are launching today is full scholarship with tuition, accommodation and N20, 00 monthly pocket money for students who graduated from Baptist Grammar School, Ajaawa, and who have gained admission to study the following courses in any federal university in Nigeria – law, medicine, any branch of engineering, computer science, nursing and Yoruba Language.
On the consideration for Yoruba Language, he submitted, “And then Yoruba is our language, if you look at the trend, what is going on in the world today especially in Yorubaland, our language is gradually being eroded, and if you really want to eradicate a people, if you want to eradicate a race, eradicate their language and their race will no longer be in existence.”
He added, “We discover that gradually, gradually Yoruba is phasing out and we feel that if we are able to train people for it, if we can start something in the community, trying to teach children not to forget their mother tongue, so, that is why Yoruba has come in, and without being sentimental about it, I also first studied Yoruba, I had a B.A. In Yoruba before I proceeded to study Law. However, that is not really the basic reason, the basic reason is we just want in our own little way, we want something that will make Yoruba language not to be forgotten and eradicated.”
Continuing, he asserted, “So, we will give scholarship to whoever qualifies for this from Ajaawa and two students will enjoy this every three years. We will make efforts to get them job immediately they finished. Make efforts and qualify for any of these, after you finished you will get a job by the grace of God. But listen I have only come to announce this along with my wife but we are not the one running the foundation. The foundation has a board. They coordinate everything. At the next admission period next year if they get students who are qualified they will start immediately.
“Number two, there will be scholarship awards for five primary school graduating students who will gain admission to attend BGS, Ajaawa for their secondary education. So, if you are qualified for this your secondary education will be taken care of. Your books, PTA levies, if you are going to pay tuition the foundation will pay, anything and the foundation will give you or your parents a token every month till you finish your secondary school. Right now, the foundation has a student at Ayegun Baptist High School in Ogbomoso, everything free. You can enjoy the same, sports money, your uniform the foundation will buy.”
The philanthropist took time to give a breakdown of how the scheme will unravel. “So, the distribution for this is this – two students from Baptist Day School, Ajaawa will be enjoying free education as long as they come to Ajaawa Baptist Grammar School, by the way that was my primary school; one student from CAC Primary School, Ajaawa, one student from RCCG Ajaawa and one student from Fomwan Primary School, Ajaawa. As long these five students are able to gain admission to Baptist Grammar School, Ajaawa, they will enjoy scholarship throughout their secondary school. I need to add the board will do proper screening. We want to lay solid foundation, no partiality, no favouristsm.
“Number three, there will be academic achievement practice for excellent performance, so, from next July when students will be graduating by the grace of God Remi & Bisi Foundation academic award of excellence will be given to best overall graduating student from BGS, Ajaawa and this prize will go with N50, 000 cash award every year and then, there will be awards for the best graduating student in English, in Mathematics, and in Yoruba Language, and this award will go with N25, 000 cash prize for whosoever student is winning it. The same I have mentioned for BGS Ajaawa will also be extended to students of Community High School Ajaawa. Proper scrutiny will also be carried out in order to avoid any form of manipulation.
“Then, there will be awards for the best teachers, one male, one female for Baptist Grammar School and Community High School, Ajaawa. Each of the awardees will receive N50, 000 each. The best teacher male, the best teacher female will go home with N50, 000 each in both schools.The board will work out the modalities.”
Adebiyi who is the chairman of the board of trustees of the Baptist Grammar School Ajaawa Old Students Association also, unveiled programmes for the widows and other less-privileged people in Ajaawa and the whole of Ogo-Oluwa local government.
“That is for academics. From next year by the grace of God, the Bisi-Remi Adebiyi Foundation will be empowering 15 widows every two to three years. They will be empowered to start small scale businesses with N50, 000 cash each. In the past, we limited it to Ajaawa but this time it is going to all of Ogo-Oluwa local government. The modality will be five widows from Ajaawa township, then we have ten wards, which means one widow will be coming from each of the wards. It means Ajaawa township will be having six. The board also will determine the process of selection.”
He emphasized they are not doing this for any political reason. “We are not politicians, we don’t intend to be one. It is what God laid on our heart , to come and give back to our community. It is just love and compassion. So, please we are not interested in politics.”
Also making a remark the Alajaawa of Ajaawa Alayeluwa Oba Thompson Adeyeye Oyetunji Oyemole III, who disclosed he was classmate with Pastor Remi Adebiyi at BGS Ajaawa, heaped encomiums on the benefactors and prayed for the ministry.
“As God lives God will bless this ministry in Jesus name, all of you these students listen to words of comfort that uplift, you will reach higher pedestal.”
The monarch chastised the students for looking forward to “securing assistance where there is none,” advising them against overbearing attitude.
“Learn from the life of Pastor Adebiyi, eschew seeking help from wrong places. Respect your teachers so that you can receive their blessings. We started together at the primary school here, with Pastor Adebiyi, we were children of farmers but here we are today. We endured a lot then, no well water, vehicles came here only thrice in a week, we carried lockers on our head from Ipeba to Ajaawa but we have results to show for what we endured today. If you don’t want your efforts go to waste you must retrace your steps.
“I pray God will re-position you because where we are we need re-positioning. Make yourself an agent that will help to re-position this community. So, utilize the opportunities you have today, we didn’t have the opportunities you have today but we are where we are today, simply because we submitted to our parents, teachers and elders and sought their guidance. I also want to counsel you that gangsterism doesn’t pay, steer clear of it, associate with responsible friends.”
