A philanthropist, Otunba Eyitayo Ogunmola has launched an Education Awards Board that is designed to give scholarships to some of the best students who are resident in Ifako Ijaiye Local government area of Lagos state.
Eyitayo Ogunmola popularly known as Eyi-Eko at the launch on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Austino Event center, Ifako Ijaye Local government, said he does not want money to be a problem for any student that gains admission in the community.
Sharing what specifically led to setting up the board, he said: “A lady got admission in Ifako Ijaiye and could not get to me on WhatsApp to obtain a necessary fund for registration because I am always busy and not always attending to WhatsApp. So, she lost the admission. After that, I said to myself that the story of that lady will never happen again, hence the launch of this platform,”
Ogunmola said he is using 5 percent revenue of his company to drive the board and will continuously put in 5 percent of every money that he makes to it.
The board which is being single handedly funded by the convener of EyiEko movement will have elders to manage it.
“This elders, I didn’t tell them that we are launching something like this today will review the admission of each student and know how much that will be given to him or her,” he said.
He also stated that the first five people that got 250 in their Jamb score will instantly get a hundred thousand naira each N100,000. This he said will help set the student up before the admission scholarship. “It will help him or her to run around before his or her admission,” he said.
He said it is indeed a give back time to society for a community that have helped him grow. “I was born and raised in Ifako Ijaiye and I lived all my life here and one of the things I learned is that the community raised me to what I am today. So, it is also my responsibility to raise others and give back to other people,” he said.
“Early Foundation Church through Ajao (contribution) raised me. I went to school through a Ajao in this community. My mummy had nothing to send me to school but I got help so that is why I must make sure that everyone goes to school in this community. As you get admission we must support you. School is not a scam,” he added.
For the sustainability of the project, he said it is a continuous thing. “What I have done is to set up a board, funded, and there is money accessible to students that are resident here.”
He used the medium to urge students in the community to work hard because the more harder they work the more care and more luckier they get.
Asking if he has government support, he said he does not because the government’s hands are very full.
“They have a lot of problem they are battling with but what I will say to private enterprise like myself is, “It takes a village to raise a child. Let us come out and do this together. If you have money, no matter how little it is. Take some part of it and give out to people, support people especially now that people are very hungry. Let’s give out food. Let us give out financial support, let’s sponsor children to school that is how we can raise the future.”
EyiEko said he has several programs that suits in into different categories. “We just launched a Feeding Initiative for a lot of people. We just launched a football competition for those that loves skills, we have an internal program to train people in certain skills. We have several initiative campaigns. From Monday we are launching a food campaign for Ramadan where people will be given rice, yam, cow meat, etc.”
Earlier, EyiEko gave out free Jamb Forms for 110 students residents in Ifako Ijaye with the intention of expanding it to continue giving them more access to finance to go to school.
Beneficiaries of the free Jamb Forms spoke to our reporter.
Oluwasegun Desmond Obaro said: “I am very grateful for the free Jamb form Eyieko made available for us. God will continue to bless and replenish him.”
He said he got to know of it through a banner with the description that Eyieko is giving 100 free Jamb Forms within the community. “I Thank God I was selected. We wrote an easy on the school and course you would want to study. That was the criteria they used to determine the people that was selected,” he said.
He encouraged his follow youths to always be on the look out for opportunities like this because it helps and relives.
Another beneficiary, Liasu Qowiyat Moturiayo said she feels happy and grateful being a part of the students receiving free form and appreciates the opportunity Eyieko gave them.
She said: “I got to know it through a friend and I decided to try my luck. Opportunity comes but once. Whenever you lose one you may not have another opportunity again. Like me. I am not leaving around but I told my parents that I will get it. So whenever they call for us, I make sure that I come. It was difficult at a time, but thank God I got one,” she said.
Earlier, Kabiesi Mathew Gbolahan, Oba-Elect Oniju of Iju Kingdom, prayed that God blesses the source Eyitayo who is using to support people.
He said during his time there was nothing like this and urged everyone in the community to make judicious use of it. “My father was very rich but he died early. So we didn’t have such opportunity. I went to school because I was determined to go to school. It is serious minded people that makes it in life.”
He disclosed that he will be commissioning a powerful stadium for the whole Ifako Ijaye Local government soon. According to him, you have to make your community attractive to be competitive so that the community can attract investors.
Also, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State on Youth Mobilization, Alabi Opeyemi Oladimeji, at the launch urged to be very careful on what they do to get to where they are going to, encouraging them to think outside the box.
“Education is a means to an end. It is to help others and be creative. Make sure you create something after being selected and finish your programmes that will help not just you but your family, others around you and the community. We must come together to build the community,” he said.
