Oyo state government has officially flagged off disbursement of zero interest student relief loan for no fewer than 96 indigenes of Iresa Adu in Surulere local government area of Ogbomoso geopolitical zone in the state.
The first phase of the disbursement held on Friday, January 5, at Iresa Adu Town hall, Iresa Adu and it is designed for both undergraduate and postgraduate students currently studying at various tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Pioneer of the interest free loan, Iresa Adu Royal Foundation which is a non profit charity organization founded by Prince Adebayo Kayode otherwise known as ‘Prince of Iresa’ said the gesture was part of the organization’s commitment to creating access to tertiary education for less privileged members of the community, saying beneficiaries will only refund the loan after graduation and gainfully employed so that such opportunity can continue to revolve within Iresa Adu.
The state Commissioner for youth and sports, Wasilat Adegoke who represented governor Seyi Makinde at the event flagged off the disbursement by presenting symbolic cheques to the first set of beneficiaries while calling on other privileged members of the society to emulate the Founder of Iresa Royal Foundation.
The Commissioner, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Oladipo Ajoke and other top officials from the ministry, commended Prince Adebayo for committing his personal resources through his Foundation towards supporting members of his community’s educational advancement adding that the gesture was in line with Governor Makinde’s sustainable development agenda for education in the state being one of the four cardinal pillars upon which the present administration is built. She however, urged the students to commit the money to their academic works.
“While congratulating the first set of beneficiaries of this remarkable gesture that clearly shows that privileged individuals are already keying into the vision of Governor Seyi Makinde towards creating access to quality education, I must commend Prince Adebayo for this exceptional foresight and committal of his personal resources through his Foundation to the education advancement of these young undergraduates who are no doubt leaders of tomorrow.
“As a government, it is very clear that the Governor Makinde led administration has continued to achieve new milestones in terms of providing quality education and deliberate commital of resources towards improving the education sector while equally breaking United Nations 25 percent of total budget for education by appropriating almost a hundred billion naira for Education alone in the 2024 Oyo state budget.”
Earlier in his brief remark, Prince Adebayo Kayode, represented by the program coordinator, Leye Oladokun, commended Governor Seyi Makinde for showing the expected political will towards improving the quality of lives of all indigenes and residents of the state particularly youth development via quality education, entrepreneural capacity building, and economic empowerment towards self reliance noting that Iresa Royal Foundation would continue to support government in its strides especially at the grassroots.
“I just want to on behalf of behalf of the entire management team of Iresa Royal Foundation express my profound gratitude to the executive governorgovernor for sending a top level government representative ably led by the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Miss Wasilat Adegoke.
“This is another milestone in our drive open up doors to tertiary education for all willing sons and daughters of Iresa Adu origin. We believe that this will also form a complimentary gesture towards very laudable efforts of Governor Seyi Makinde led government specifically in the area of education.
“This is the first phase of this disbursement and we plan to sustain this gesture periodically as a show of support to our youngsters who are currently undergoing undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various Nigerian universities and polytechnics.” Prince Adebayo stated.
National president of Iresa Adu Student Union, Araoye Adijat represented by her vice, Adeniyi Philip Oluwasegun described the gesture as laudable stating that it was not the first of its kind by the Foundation in terms of charity and philanthropy while calling on other privileged members of Iresa Adu community to emulate Prince Adebayo’s kindness and support for students of Iresa Adu origin across various universities and polytechnics across Nigeria.
Adeyemi Ezekiel, who is currently a student of Osun state Polytechnic, Iree, and other beneficiaries who spoke to newsmen lauded the gesture saying it is a moral booster for students of Iresa Adu origin while they appealed to others with financial influence in the area to rise up to the economic challenges that threatens their academic pursuit.
Other notable personalities at the event which include the Chief Imam of Iresa Adu, Alhaji Zakariyau Adepoju, Bara Of Iresa Adu, the chairman screening, selection, and approval committee, Oloye Adenrele Igbalajobi, in their separate remarks acknowledged that the selection process was rigorous and tough but transparent, urging the students to emulate the Commissioner, who they described as pride of womanhood being a state cabinet member at a young age.
