Osun leads as Standard Bearer awards Indigent but brilliant students

Two students from Osun State, Southwest Nigeria have again led their counterparts across the country in the annual Career Mentorship Programme (CMP) Award of the Standard Bearer Islamic Organisation.

The two Osun students who came second and third in the national examination for the brilliant but indigent students are Mus’ab Tajudeen (86%) and Aisha Boladale (82%) who are both students Islamic College Osogbo. They trailed Sharifah Olushola of AlHikmah International School Abuja who took the lead with 86%.

Also awarded at the ceremony which was held at AlFalaah Model College, Osogbo on Sunday are Ridwanullah Abdullah of AlFareed College Ede; Bode AbdulSamad of Molek School Ofatedo, Osogbo; and AbdulJeleel Abdulazeez of Akinorun Government High School, Ikirun.

It will be recalled that the CMP 2019 edition was led by another Osun indigene, Abdullah Akintade who emerged the overall winner nation-wide. Master Akintade consequently went ahead to win the Federal Government scholarship award in science.

Career Mentorship Programme (CMP) is a scholarship initiative targeted at indigent but brilliant students. It assists in paying for their final examination – be it West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or National Examination Council (NECO) examination as well as the UTME fees.

Annually, examination is conducted for students and those who excel are awarded accordingly with cash and education materials.

However, in 2020, due to Corona virus pandemic, the CMP examination which started via physical (written) test transmuted to online test for students with 357 registered students across the country.

The award ceremony for Kwara, FCT and part of Osun (Ife Zone) were held earlier while that of Osogbo followed on Sunday 14th March, 2021 (30th Rajab 1442AH).

Addressing the students and parents, the Principal Assistant Registrar of the Fountain University, Osogbo, Alhaji AbdulQadri Odelade admonished the students to take responsibilty for thier lives and live up to expectation for the benefit of their generation.

He equally enjoined the parents to give necessary support to their wards in order to live an impactul life, rather than waste money on frivolities.

Also speaking, the Bureau Chief, Southwest Office of Voice Nigeria, Mallam Tajudeen AbdusSalaam enjoined the students to give priority to skill acquisition in addition to academic pursuit as this will enable them to be self-employed and financially independent.

He urged them to strive to be the pride of the their family, the nation and the Ummah at large, saying the responsibility to alter the imbalance in the society in the truly lies in students who are both intellectually and morally balance.

The organisers of the program, Pharmacist Shuaib Ajibade and Dr Kamil Tijani of the Osun State University urged the students not to rely on their oars and see the award as a stepping stone to greater achievements.

They thereby called on well-meaning Nigerians to support similar initiative that assist indigent but brilliant students instead of supporting frivolous endeavors that only promote entertainment, obscenity, pornography.