The National Association of Ogun State Students, NAOSS, has applauded Governor Dapo Abiodun for appointing Samuel Badekale and Haroun Adebakin, as educational ambassadors of the state.
The duo had emerged as best graduating students of the University of Lagos during the institution’s 55th convocation by scoring a Grade Point Average of 5.0.
The Governor, while receiving them in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Friday, said, they not only made the state proud but also set themselves on the path of greatness.
Abiodun also presented them with cheques of N10m each, adding that his administration will keep recognizing those who made the state proud in their chosen fields.
Reacting to this on Saturday, the student body in a statement jointly signed by the NAOSS National President and the Public Relations Officer, Kehinde Thomas and Olubodun Lekan, respectively, said the gesture would spur other students in the state to aim for enviable height.
Thomas described the governor as a man with a large heart whose gesture is worthy of emulation by other governors in the country.
According to the statement, Governor Abiodun’s sterling performance and exemplary leadership has always been a thing of pride to them.
It added that his Abiodun’s unprecedented positive impact on the education sector has made Ogun the leading light among the comity of states in Nigeria.
He said, “On behalf of Ogun State students, NAOSS wants to salute Governor Dapo Abiodun for this latest kind reward gestures to two of our members who emerged the best graduating students during the 50th Convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos. We say a big thank you to the governor for his large heart and laudable reward system.
“Since he took over the mantle of leadership in 2019, the fortunes of students in the state have improved significantly. Bursaries are paid, while all the state-owned tertiary institutions have witnessed physical and infrastructural turn-around”.
“Apart from that, our members have been availed with different kinds of opportunities, which have had positive impacts on our lives. Worthy of note is that he doesn’t discriminate the choice of beneficiaries for the cash gifts being extended to outstanding graduating students of higher institutions within the state, regardless of their individual state of origin.
“In fact, students from other states schooling in the Ogun State-owned higher institutions have benefited more from this kind gesture. Also, the governor has surpassed the records of his predecessors, by attending approximately every convocation ceremonies of the higher institutions owned by the state, as well as putting smiles on the faces of the respective best graduating students from each institution.
“We strongly believe that giving such huge rewards to Adebakin and Badekale for bolstering the enviable position of Ogun on the global map, will goad the duo to continue on the path of greatness laid down by the exemplars in the state. This is particularly so when they say that reward for hard work is more work”, the statement added.