Ona Ara Development Forum (ODF) has started the move to start awarding scholarship, bursary, grant to brilliant but less-privileged Ona Ara Local Government Youths in secondary and tertiary institutions.
The Chairman of the scholarship committee of the forum, Professor Olukunle Iyanda disclosed this in Ibadan on Saturday at the end of the meeting of the committee.
Professor Iyanda commended families and individuals that have responded to letters of appeal for donations to the scholarship fund and urged those who are yet to participate to come on board and be counted among those who are passionate for quality education for Ona Ara Youths.
According to Professor Olukunle Iyanda, the financial assistance will come in three categories. Under category one, notable families or individuals can award full scholarship to one or more students in tertiary institutions.
The scholarship which would cover tuition, books and modest living allowance is estimated at two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) and three hundred thousand naira (N300,000) per annum for a polytechnic and university student respectively.
In order to endow such scholarship in perpetuity, the donor would need to invest the sum of two million naira (N2,000,000) for a polytechnic scholarship and three million naira (N3,000,000) for a university scholarship.
Such scholarships would be awarded annually under a name as may be decided by the donor and would be funded from the proceeds of the investment (bond, fixed deposits, etc).
Category two which is bursary endowment which could be named after the donor will attract an endowed sum of seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N750,000) for a polytechnic student or one million naira (N1,000,000) for a university student.
The third category is for those who may not be able to single handedly fund a scholarship or bursary to donate to a general scholarship or bursary fund which would be administered by the scholarship committee.

Also speaking at Saturday’s meeting, the President of Ona Ara Development Forum, Alhaji Kola Bolomope, thanked the committee members for their commitment and sacrifice towards efforts to provide quality education for Ona Ara Youths.
He urged members of the committee to use their connections to attract more donations to the scholarship fund.
Members of the committee are; Professor Remi Akinade, Alhaji Yinka Oladimeji, Chief Opoola Olakanmi, Mrs Ronke Adedayo (Nee Akinyele), Chairman Ona Ara local government; Musbaudeen Adesina Sanusi, Chairman of Ona Ara Chapter of All Nigeria Conference of Principal of Secondary Schools; Mr Olatubosun, Dr Saka Adewunmi; Secretary and Mr P. O. Odeyale; Secretary ODF.