By Shina Abubakar Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke on friday presented cash prizes to students from the State with best performance in the last year’s West African School Certificate Examination, WASCE.

The scheme which was the brainchild of Electronic Collection Group, ECG in collaboration with the state government rewarded 31 students from across the State with N100,000 each and the best overall student getting N1million.

Speaking after presenting the dummy cheques to the beneficiaries, including their class teachers, at the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Hall, Osun State University, Osogbo, Governor Adeleke said the programme aimed at raising a generation that will not walk in darkness, encouraging the awardees to dream bigger. “To our awardees, you are that light. But your light must shine beyond this stage, into your future,” the governor said.

On the forthcoming governorship election in the state, Adeleke, urged the people to shun vote buying.

His words, “My people of Osun state, Osun is at an unusual time ahead of the August 15 election. Those who hijacked and diverted over N300 billion Osun local government funds are desperate. I charge Osun people to reject Greek gifts, to shun proceeds of crime and use their votes to sustain continuity.

“Osun voters and residents have a sacred duty to reject illegality, political corruption and unconstitutional pressure to subvert democracy. Our votes must further elongate delivery of democratic dividends as witnessed by our people from 2022 to date.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Coordinator of ECG, Akinmade Akintoye, said the reward programme would be annual, noting that it is to encourage students, teachers and schools to train future leaders better.

“Each of the best students in each of the 30 local government areas in the state got N100,000 in this maiden edition of the Imole Scholarship Award. The Overall Best in the state got a scholarship Award of N1 million. This is to encourage future leaders to study well in a world where we have a lot of distractions.

“Every teacher of the nine subjects in which they partook got a gift of N50,000 each. The school got an award as well as educational support”, he added.