BREAKING: Onireti gives scholarship to girl with highest JAMB score, financial support to 7 others

Image caption: Helen displaying her dummy cheque

BREAKING: Onireti gives scholarship to girl with highest JAMB score, financial support to 7 others

Femi OGUNLANA

Hon Olufemi Onireti – was represented at the event

Succour has come the way of the student who notched the highest score in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) from Ogbomoso, Oyo state, as a philanthropist, Mr. Olufemi Oladokun Onireti, awarded her (partial) scholarship after she gained admission to study medicine and surgery at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.

Recall Helen Omobola Alabi, then a student of Smith International Baptist Academy Ogbomoso (SIBAO), scored 328 in the 2023 JAMB, a feat unsurpassed by any other student in the zone.

She became an instant celebrity after this was made known to the public.

She has now secured admission to study medicine and surgery at the best state university in Nigeria.

The scholarship which covers the six-year duration of her course will encompass payment of tuition yearly – N500, 000 (five hundred thousand in the first year).

Dr. Damilare Amusan who represented Hon Onireti making a speech

Seven others also enjoyed financial support of N50, 000 (fifty thousand naira) each – they are among students whose JAMB forms were paid by Onireti in conjunction with Ogbomoso Progressive Elite Club (OPEC) in 2023 and who had now secured university admissions to study various courses.

The beneficiaries are Oladele Shinaayomi Emmanuel, Ojo Gloria Oluwadamilola, Adegboola Matthew Oluwafemi, Ayorinde Victoria Toluwase, Olatunji Ayanfe Mercy, Oni Victoria Oluwaferanmi and Ajala Roseline Remilekun. The grant will similarly cover the period of their respective studies.

The event which held Sunday also featured presentation of registration slips to 50 students he in partnership with OPEC purchased JAMB forms for this year.

One of the 50 whose JAMB form was paid for in 2024

In his address, president of OPEC, Mr. Hezekiah Farayoola Olaniran, lauded Onireti for his partnership with the club and for providing financial backing for the programme.

Olaniran disclosed the partnership was forged because the philanthropist’s father is a member of the club informing, “one of our major programmes as a club includes providing Educational Funding for Ogbomoso children.”

He encouraged parents and guardians to continue monitoring their children to study hard so that they can avail themselves of more opportunities.

Engr. Dr. Damilare Amusan, who represented Onireti, said the benefactor had the love of Ogbomoso and its indigenes at heart, urging other privileged individuals to emulate the gesture.

Dr Damilare, a former caretaker chairman of Ogbomoso South West LCDA, informed that Alabi Helen’s predicament was brought to Onireti less than a week ago but that he was compassionate enough to ask that her name be included in view of her outstanding performance, adding, “She could perhaps have forfeited her admission to study medicine and that would have been a shame on all of us. Now, she has been given a lifetime scholarship.”

Comrade Prince Tojuade Adedoyin, a member of the education committee of OPEC, stated forty students benefited the gesture (purchase of JAMB forms) in 2023 but that only seven of the beneficiaries scored above 200 stressing this prompted the decision to conduct qualifying exams this year to choose the best.

He informed 50 forms were purchased this year with prospective candidates from the five local governments in Ogbomoso zone, from among who the best 50 performers were picked.

He urged them to score a minimum of 200 in UTME and secure admission “to enjoy further financial assistance from the club,” adding there would be free JAMB classes for the beneficiaries like it occured last year.

Adedoyin, a former Oyo state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) informed all public secondary schools in the zone were contacted to send two representatives each to participate in the qualifying exam.

Comrade Dokun Alamu, also a member of the education committee of OPEC observed however that students from other local governments aside Ogbomoso South local government need to strive harder saying 6 of the 7 2023 beneficiaries were from Ogbomoso South.

Parents expressed appreciation to Onireti with Mr. Adebayo Alabi (Helen’s father) emotionally disclosing his daughter almost lost the admission slot due to fund. “We initially approached a foundation which promised to assist but they reneged asking us look for alternatives in the interim. That’s when someone informed Hon Onireti about our situation. Here we are today. God will continue to bless him and OPEC.”

He now revealed: “Let me state that this is not the first time my child will enjoy the help of Hon Onireti. When last year during the cashless predicament he introduced free bus services my daughter always insisted on going with the Onireti bus from Oriire local government. We never knew his scholarship awaits her as well. We thank him.”

Chief Oluyole Ajekigbe disclosed Onireti visited him when he hosted a meeting of the club in Ibadan (being a friend of his father) and given chance to speak he (Onireti) asked whether we still give scholarships to students which he said he used to hear his father mention and when he was told the programme had been discontinued due to finance he there and then promised to start funding it. And he has been fulfilling the promise. He is a good man, let’s be praying for him.

Congratulating the beneficiaries Chief Ajekigbe enjoined them and their parents to persistently put in their best and to reciprocate similar gesture in the future.

Comrade Babatunde Amuda enjoined both parents and beneficiaries not to relent, saying the club is waiting for greater glory to manifest in their lives.

Dr Amusan in his closing remark gave assurance that if all the fifty candidates Onireti paid for their JAMB this year gained admission they would all be considered for financial assistance while urging the awardees to post excellent performance in their studies.

Speaking with ogbomosoinsightonline.com on phone, Onireti reaffirmed his commitment to the education advancement of the young ones towards helping them realize their ambitions and potentials.

Onireti who is also a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), noted his gesture might be little but “it is a token of our commitment to support education. We believe the little we give will assist them in some way towards bringing them relief and achieving their education goal.”

Cross section of free JAMB forms

He expressed hope the students will excel in their studies “so they can continue to enjoy the grant. The support is merit based and we expect them to score high grade points for them to continue to benefit the financial aid and enjoy possible increment.

The US-based businessman explained he was particularly inspired by the commendable feat of Alabi Helen in emerging student with best JAMB scores in the whole of Ogbomosoland, topping it with good O’level results (7 As and 2 Bs) and gaining admission to study medicine. It is remarkable.”

Cross section of scholarships awardees

He affirmed her case was brought to his attention last Tuesday, “and after reviewing her situation we decided to encourage her by paying her tuition yearly for six years. More importantly, it will encourage others to seek academic excellence and possibly spur other privileged individuals to offer scholarships to deserving indigent students. We thank the beneficiaries for helping us to help them. They are the ones who actually provided the stimuli. We can’t allow our brilliant students to rot away and truncate their academic pursuit because of lack of money.”