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Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, addressing lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, during the budget presentation on Wednesday in Abeokuta [Credit: X | #DapoAbiodunCON]
The National Association of Nigerian Students has commended the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, for appointing two indigenes of the state who emerged as the best-graduating students of the University of Lagos during the institution’s 55th convocation as the Education Ambassadors of the state.
NANS equally showered encomium on the governor for giving the sum of N10m each to the duo in appreciation for their adroit and sterling achievements.
Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the appointment of Samuel Badekale and Haroun Adebakin as Education Ambassadors for making the state proud by emerging the best-graduating students of the University of Lagos during the institution’s 55th convocation.
The governor also presented them with cheques of N10m each to appreciate their efforts.
Adebakin and Badekale scored a Grade Point Average of 5.0 and announced the best-graduating students during the convocation.
NANS, however, in a statement signed by its Vice President, Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Akinbodunse Sileola , described the action of Governor Abiodun on Saturday as “unprecedented and noble”.
Akinbodunse said that the governor had not only rewarded academic excellence and hard work by the honour done on Adebakin and Badekale, but he had also encouraged other students of the state’s origin to aim for enviable excellence in their respective education pursuits.
She added that the governor’s gesture has clearly shown the high premium and value his administration placed on education, noting that no previous administration in the state had rewarded academic brilliance and motivated students as well as the youth to aim for the best as his administration has done.
While describing the governor’s action as an “unusual gesture”, Akinbodunse said that similar encouragements and gestures his government has extended to the Ogun students schooling within and outside the state since he assumed office in 2019 is a testament to his passion for the development of the education sector in the state.
The NANS Vice President, however, declared that from records obtained by the student body from other states in the country, no governor has traceable records of encouraging students in his state like Governor Abiodun.
The statement reads in part, “NANS at the national level is delighted at the unprecedented gesture of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, for his decision to appoint two indigenes of the state who emerged as the Best Graduating Students at the UNILAG’s 50th Convocation, as Education Ambassadors of Ogun State. The governor equally gifted N10m each to Samuel Badekale and Haroun Adebakin as a reward for their academic excellence. This is highly commendable; it will serve as encouragement for other indigenous students to strive for excellence in their academic pursuits.
“From our findings, the governor is no stranger to academic rewarding excellence. About five years ago, Governor Abiodun similarly rewarded an Ogun student who emerged as the best-graduating student at Lagos State University by giving him a bungalow and N5m cash rewards.
“In the same vein, he rewarded a secondary school student from a private school for emerging as a global champion in a Mathematics competition with a special computer laptop and education endorsement fund running into several millions of naira. Recently, he rewarded a teacher in the state who won the Best Global Teacher award.
“All these chronicled reward gestures by the governor have clearly shown how passionate he is at ensuring the development of the education sector in Ogun and keeping on the torch of exemplary achievers the state has produced.
“As the umbrella body of student associations, NANS, hereby, calls on other state governors to emulate Governor Abiodun in his administration’s deliberate investment in the education of his people as well as rewarding uncommon academic feats.”
“NANS, while further applauding Governor Abiodun’s exemplary leadership and superlative act of reward, we promise to continue to support the governor in his administration’s efforts to enhance the delivery of quality education and encouragement being given to the students in his state.”
