Starting from Egbe community, the joint Summer Class and Scholarship Awards programme initiated by Toyosi Akure BAO Foundation for JSS One and SSS One students in Yagba West Local Government, Kogi State ended on Thursday, August 31 with participants, parents and community leaders showering praises on the founder, Mr Toyosi Akure Bao and the organizers for a well conceived human resource development initiative and promise delivered.
The programme kicked off on August 14.
The grand finale witnessed the grant of one-year school fees payment, scholarships and distribution of writing materials among other gifts to outstanding students.
The founder, Toyosi Akure, was variously described by members of Yagba West community who spoke at the ceremony as an illustrious and very patriotic Nigerian with a conscientious goodwill. He is based in United States of America.
“He is an impactful and highly enterprising young man. He is a humanitarian and philanthropist per Excellence, a youth emancipator, highly respected among his peers, humbled and an exemplary role model to the youth”, declared co-host and programme anchor, Kingsley Ikusagba, who also held forth for the Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology.
in his address at the closing ceremony held at St John’s Primary School, Egbe, Mr Ikusagba who took his audience down the memory lane said the foundation, in time past, had embarked on several educational supports in the local government area.
“In time past, Toyosi Akure BAO Foundation paid the school fees of all the indigent pupils, provided free school uniforms, free school bags and free school sandals for them”, Ikusagba said, “Of recent, Toyosi Akure Foundation paid the Year 2023 State Common Entrance and Basic Six Evaluation Examinations Registration Fees for all the indigents primary six pupils writing the examinations in the local government. Today, he paid a year school fees of all the outstanding students that participated in the just concluded free summer lesson organized by the Toyosi Akure foundation”.
The founder, Mr Toyosi Akure, in his message delivered on his behalf to the guests and participants, said: “Our foundation has done this to engage the students positively and prepare them academically for their new classes thereby enhancing their performance towards academic excellence in Kogi State. We have equally taken up the responsibility of distribution of writing materials to participants and scholarships to the best performing students in each category of JSS One and SSS One. To God be the glory. The promise has been fulfilled”.
Earlier, in his opening address, Chairman, Toyosi Akure BAO Foundation, Hon Gbenga Ogungbemi described the occasion as “historic” and a mark of selfless service to humanity.
He extolled the virtues of the founder, Mr Toyosi Akure, as a young, promising and shinning star whose passion for the upliftment of the less privileged in the society is unparalleled.
According to him, Mr Akure, in his private capacity, has dutifully committed his hard earned resources to the course of humanitarian service.
“Today, aside the scholarships and school fees, a total of 6000 books, school bags, mathematical sets and other writing materials are to be distributed. In addition, he has paid school fees for the two categories of students, JSS One and SSS Three. May God in his infinite mercy continue to bless and prosper this young man”, he said.
The Foundation Chairman praised the founder’s parents, Mr and Mrs Abolaji Akure for the rare encouragement they gave their son without which he may not have been able to actualize his vision.
He added: “To the beneficiaries of the awards, to whom much is given, much is expected. I urge you all to intensify more efforts, commitment and dedication to your academic performance (going further). To other participants of this year’s summer school, I encourage you to be more committed to your studies so as to be counted among the outstanding students (in the subsequent programmes)”.
He said Toyosi Akure Foundation is a non-governmental and non profiting organization, set up with sole purpose of reaching out to the less privileged members of the society including widows, orphans, indigent pupils and students as well as helpless youth in trade, with a vision to ensuring poverty reduction through children, youth and women empowerment.
In his remarks, the Baale of Egbe, Oba Abiodun Agbana likened BAO Foundation’s efforts to the activities of the missionaries in Egbe community over the years especially in the education sector. Noting that education is a leveler, the monarch said “If not for the fact that some of us are educated, definitely we would not have been in the position that we are today”. Further stressing the importance of education as the bedrock of development, the monarch appealed to all parents to ensure that they train their children. He thanked Toyosi Akure Foundation for focusing mainly on education targeting the less privileged, a feat he said the community is proud of.
Among the dignitaries and eminent personalities from Yagba West who graced the ceremony were: Yagba West Council Vice Chairman, Hon Omowumi Balogun; Secretary to the Local Government (SLG), Chief Olutayo Kayode John; Elegbe of Egbe and Chairman, Yagba West Traditional Council, Oba Ayodele Irukera, ably represented by the Baale of Egbe, HRH Oba Abiodun Agbana; HH Oba Ore Abolade,
the Oba of Ijagan; HRH Oba Rotimi Dada, the Emla of Ilemla; Hon Jude Ogunjobi, LGEA Education Secretary; Comrade Jide Babalola, Chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Yagba West chapter, and Secretary of Yagba West Traditional Council.
