Representative of the Olusegun Agagu Foundation and Commissioner for Education, Mr Femi Agagu (R), presenting the cheque for the Endowment to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun.
The Olusegun Agagu Foundation on Wednesday, presented a cheque of two million Naira as Scholarship Endowment for outstanding students from the Department of Geology of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State.
Presenting the cheque at a brief ceremony in Akure, a member of the Board of the Foundation, Mr Femi Agagu, said the endowment was in memory of a former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu.
He explained that the Endowment is meant to promote excellence in the field of Geology in four universities that were dear to the late Dr Agagu who was a student and later lecturer of Geology. The four benefiting institutions are: University of Ibadan; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa; and Adekunle Ajasin University.
Mr Agagu, who is the Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, explained that the best student in the Department of Geology in 200 and 300 levels would get N50,000 prize money each, while the overall best graduating student in the final year should cart home N100,000 prize money.
He stressed that the Endowment is one of the many educational interventions of the Olusegun Agagu Foundation, as other efforts include scholarships given to indigent students in secondary schools and tertiary institutions .
READ ALSO: Northern Youths Caution Buhari Against Undermining Osinbajo’s Office
In his response after receiving the cheque on behalf of the University, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun lauded the initiative which he said was worthy of the memory of the late Dr Agagu, whom he described as a man of excellence and an intellectual giant.
He expressed optimism that the awards and prizes from the endowment would spur the students to be studious and take their academic pursuit with greater commitment. He called on other well meaning Nigerians to rise to the task of helping tertiary institutions meet their ever-growing challenges even as he stressed that the task of funding education should not be left for government alone.
The Vice Chancellor promised that the grant would be used strictly according to the wishes of the Olusegun Agagu Foundation.
The brief but impressive ceremony was witnessed by key stakeholders in the educational sector of the state as well as friends and associates of the late Governor. They include the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin), of AAUA, Prof. Olugbenga Ige; Chairperson of SUBEB, Mrs Oladunni Odu; Special Adviser on Education, Science and Technology, Dr (Mrs) Funmi Ilawole; former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan; and the Permanent Secretaries of SUBEB and Ministry of Education, Mrs Funmi Oni and Mr Akin Asaniyan respectively, among others.
