A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Jelili Owonikoko, has vowed to always provide for the down-trodden in the society.
Because of this, for years, he has been complementing Oyo State Government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives towards providing qualitative education to pupils in public secondary schools in Oke-Ogun area.
That is why hundreds of brilliant students from that part of the Pacesetter State have been benefitting from the scholarship schemes of the legal luminary.
Besides, since 2010, Owonikoko, an indigene of Iseyin town,
has been sponsoring quiz competition for secondary school pupils in Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola and Iwajowa local governments’ areas.
Three schools are drawn from each of the four councils to participate in the zonal competition organised by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The quiz competition focused on Current Affairs, English
Language and Mathematics.
In his address at this year’s well-attended competition held at the Iseyin local government secretariat, Owonikoko, represented by Alhaji Waheed Shittu, declared that reforming education is not an easy task as it has to take care of all the relevant parameters such as national needs, wider consultations, commitment, reliable statistical data,
practicability, sustainability and quest for development that would make the reform desirable and useful to the society.
“Process of education reforms must march modern scientific and technological innovations for it to remain relevant to the learner and the nation. It also takes years for any meaningful educational reform to yield fruits. Nigeria must learn to plan its education and implement it with commitment and sense of direction for the greater good of all its citizens”.
Owonikoko noted that government should accord every education segment its rightful place; in the sense every segment in the education sector should have codified objectives that are subject to periodical
evaluations.
“Secondary education must be accorded the deserved priority that aims at making our youth arm with sellable skills and knowledge to continue with their studies. Policy haste in education never gives desired result. It would be better if policies are made in such a way that changes can be accommodated without disturbing the overall system in
operation. Nigeria’s education should aspire for manpower training.”
While expressing his satisfaction at the conduct of zonal competitions so far, Owonikoko said his determination to assist the less priviledged was aimed at improving the standard of education of potential future leaders.
The Local Government Inspector of Education, Mr. David Adetunji, who described the programme as very encouraging, advised the sponsor to extend the gesture to all the 33 Local Governments in the state.
Adetunji also enjoined wealthy individuals to emulate Owonikoko’s virtues in order to build long-lasting legacies for the younger generation.
Also speaking, State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Olufunmilayo Akin-Moses, represented by the Zonal Inspector of Education for Ibarapa, Mrs Ajose Yewise, lauded the initiative of the legal icon, and congratulated the participating schools for being part of a veritable platform towards remodeling their future for the better.
At the end of the keenly contested completion, Kajola local government came first, Iseyin local government came second, while the Itesiwaju local government got the third position.
