The ex-National President of the Federation of Ibadan Students’ Union (FIBSU) National council, Are Kunle Abass Oladiipo has lauded the Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige for making the interest of the youths his utmost priority.
The Ex-student leader stated this during his recent visit to Nigeria from the United States of America. He used the opportunity of his trip to Nigeria to visit Hon Ige in his office and congratulated him on the distinguished award of recognition bestowed on him by the Federation of Ibadan Students’ Union (FIBSU), University of Ibadan chapter recently.
Aare Kunle Abass who was the National President of the union for two terms stated that it was important for him to say that Hon. Ige did a lot for the students when he was the Chairman of Ibadan South East Local Government between 2003 and 2007.
According to him, “the most important one that he did that actually changed the dynamism of student unionism was the payment of the Local Government bursary award. If not for his help and intervention we would not be able to achieve as much as we did during my tenure and that was the tenure that actually opened the union to the entire world.
“Ibadan South East local government was the first local government that paid the bursary and that paved the way for us in all the other local governments. We left Ibadan South East local government to Ibadan North East, North West, Oluyole and the rest of the city. Largely our success then started from Ibadan South East Local Government under the leadership of the then Chairman, Hon. Akeem Ige.
“I also remember very well that we collaborated with Ibadan South East Local Government under his leadership where we organised a health programme whereby people were tested for eye glasses, blood pressure and so on. We also organised scholarship programmes where we got a lot of financial assistance to help the indigent students. Part of the financial assistance was used for payment of school fees, buying books and so on.
“I remember very well that we printed big note books in two folds; one for Hon. Akeem Ige and the other for Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja when he was at the National Assembly as member of the Federal House of Representatives. We opened a computer centre whereby our students were trained to become computer literate. It was Ambassador Arapaja that gave us the first set of three computers that we used at that centre to kick start the programme. It really helped the students in their academic pursuit.
“I also remember that reasonable number of our members were lucky to have been employed in the local government among over 350 unemployed youth that Hon. Ige employed. Today, many of them that have been posted across the 33 local government in Oyo State have risen to the positions of Directors, Deputy Directors and other senior cadres.
“I am happy that the Federation of Ibadan Students’ Union (FIBSU) deems it fit to give him another award. This is to show that he has never relented in assisting not only the students but also the youths who are in need of one assistance or the other. This is what I knew him for before I travelled out of the country and he is still doing it. He is a humane and compassionate politician. His style of assisting the less privileged is very rare to come by among the politicians. I pray God almighty to continue to bless him and also charged other politicians who are privileged to occupy political positions to emulate his virtues.” He enthused.
Also speaking in the same vein, the current President, FIBSU, University of Ibadan chapter, Are Zainab Popoola hinted that the students union decided to bestow the award on Ige in recognition of his selfless contributions to the union.
Zainab Popoola led other members of her executives to present the award to him.
While responding, Hon. Ige who is the Baameto Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland dedicated the award to the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde for giving him the opportunity to contribute to his government.
He also used the occasion to congratulate Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja on his swearing in alongside Senator Iyochia Ayu led national executive of the PDP last week Friday.
Ige who implored the students to be more focused and dedicated to their studies hinted that the award given to him would spur him to do more for students and the youths as a whole in any position he finds himself.
