The Omituntun Initiative in the Diaspora has lauded the efforts of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in repositioning education in the state.
The group spoke recently during the presentation of awards to the top 20 winners of the 2021 Seyi Makinde Essay Competition held at the Simeon Adebo Staff Development Center, Conference Hall, Oyo State Secretariat, Ibadan.
The overall winner of the competition, Salahudeen Oyenike, was presented with a cheque of N150, 000, while the first runner-up, Adeniyi Adedoyin, got a cheque of N100, 000.00. The second runner-up, Ezekiel Kolawole, received N50, 000. 00 in cheque with Adeleke Oluwaseyi, only secondary school student who made it to the final stage of the competition, given a free JAMB form with guaranteed first-year tuition fee.
Other winners in the competition were rewarded with cash prizes, and certificates.
The OID expressed confidence that the state would, once again, bounce back to reckoning as a pacesetter in education given the priority being accorded to education by the current administration in the state.
The competition was organised for indigent students in higher institutions of learning in the state with the aim of testing their intellectual capacity in fields of digital innovations, agriculture and the roles of youths in governance.
The OID Academy Coordinator, Dr Sophia Adeyeye, described the appointment of 5000 youths into the Teaching Service Commission as a right and timely step in the right direction.
Also, the National Coordinator of OID, Prof. Olufemi Saibu, lauded the Makinde administration for allocating over 20 per cent of the state’s budget to education.
In her address, the Women Coordinator of the group, Dr Olasumbo Savage, urged female students to imbibe the culture of hard work, diligence, and dedication in a bid to excel in their chosen career, while the group’s spokesperson, Mr Ayotomiwa Adebayo, said the the people of Oyo State should continue to support the governor in his efforts at transforming education and other key sectors in the state.
The event was graced by the Oyo State Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Prof. Dahud Sangodoyin; Chairman, Governing Board, Oyo State College of Health Science and Technology, Dr Aaron Ogundiwin; and the Provost of the institution, Mr Siji Ganiyu; Prof. Olufemi Saibu, Dr Olufemi Olowookere and General Manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, Mr Tunde Ajayi, among others.
