Oyebanji’s Wife Renews Scholarship for 50 Indigent Pupils, Provides School Items

The Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has renewed scholarship support for 50 indigent pupils and provided them with educational and personal items to facilitate their return to school.

Oyebanji made the disclosure in Ado-Ekiti while distributing school materials and financial assistance to beneficiaries of the Renewal Back-to-School Scholarship Programme organised by the Widows and Orphans Hope Support Foundation.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, she urged the beneficiaries to remain focused, disciplined and committed to their studies, saying their present circumstances should not limit their aspirations.

She described the initiative as one of the key interventions under the Widows, Aged and Orphans Hope (WAOH) Programme, aimed at improving the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable women and children.

Oyebanji said the programme represented a deliberate investment in the future of the beneficiaries, stressing that education remained a veritable tool for transforming lives and creating opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

She said 19 beneficiaries transitioning from primary to secondary schools would receive N90,000 each, to be paid directly to their schools to cover feeding expenses in boarding schools.

She added that each of the 19 students would also receive N10,000 as pocket money, alongside essential educational and personal items.

According to her, the items include sandals, blankets, pillowcases, raincoats or umbrellas, bedsheets, mattresses, canvas shoes, towels, clothing, pyjamas, mosquito nets, cutlery, torchlights and batteries, reading lamps, handkerchiefs, buckets, washing basins, socks, lockers and chairs.

Other items, she said, include bathroom slippers, sportswear, cupboards, school uniforms and other materials required to make the beneficiaries' return to school comfortable and conducive to learning.

She said the remaining 31 beneficiaries in primary schools would receive N25,000 each for their upkeep, in addition to essential educational and personal items.

Oyebanji urged the beneficiaries to study diligently, respect their teachers and guardians and maintain discipline, reminding them of the responsibilities that came with the opportunity.

She reaffirmed her commitment to supporting and mentoring children and young people, noting that the transformative power of education made it imperative for stakeholders, including Premium Trust Bank, to invest in the development of the younger generation.

Earlier, the Coordinator of the Widows, Aged and Orphans Hope Support Foundation, Dr Kemi Dairo, said the initiative was designed to ensure that vulnerable children were not denied quality education because of financial constraints.

Dairo said the intervention had provided the beneficiaries with opportunities to attend school and pursue their aspirations with greater confidence and dignity.

“As schools resume this week across Ekiti State, I am delighted to announce another significant intervention approved by Her Excellency to further improve the welfare, discipline, monitoring and academic performance of the beneficiaries,” she said.

She disclosed that expenses relating to the boarding arrangements of the affected students had been fully settled by the Governor’s wife through the Foundation, in partnership with Premium Trust Bank.

Dairo said parents and guardians of the beneficiaries were not expected to provide additional items or make financial contributions towards the boarding arrangements, as the Foundation had provided the necessary support for the students.

Also speaking, a representative of the Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, Mrs Bolanle Suyi-Aluko, underscored the importance of supporting vulnerable children and investing in education to strengthen the future of society.

In their goodwill messages, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Peju Babafemi and  Chairman of the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Femi Akinwumi called for greater collaboration among stakeholders to provide vulnerable children with opportunities to thrive.

They stressed the need for collective action to build brighter futures for the beneficiaries and nurture responsible citizens capable of contributing positively to society.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Darasimi Fadoju appreciated Dr Oyebanji for the gesture, promising that the beneficiaries would reciprocate the support by taking their studies seriously, maintaining good conduct and becoming worthy ambassadors of Ekiti State.