BY OLOFE ABIODUN
Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has challenged Nigerian students at all levels to take their studies seriously, describing education as the greatest asset and key to open doors of opportunities..
Dr. Oyebanji gave the advice in her office in Ado Ekiti while playing host to the Students’ Leadership of Tertiary Institutions and Associations across the state.
According to the First Lady, students, regardless of their background, need to focus maximally on their studies and graduate with good grades to fulfil the primary reason and essence of being in school.
Speaking on the nationwide protest, which is still ongoing in some states, the First Lady commended Ekiti students for not taking to the streets and allow themselves being used by some disgruntled and faceless elements who could hijack the process and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the state.
“As you honored the state by embracing the path of peace, God will honour you. What the state needs from you is sustainability of the existing peace which you have demonstrated during the protest, even when you were pressurized”
While taking the students through her various pet projects, Dr Oyebanji reeled out various intervention projects being carried out by her office. The initiatives include; scholarship to up to tertiary level to assist indigent students, distribution of school bags, Adire training for widows and young women as well as Orphans Hope Project.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistance to Governor Oyebanji on Students Affairs, Miss Modupe Adetiba who led the group on the visit, appreciated the first lady for her contributions to education most especially on her social responsibility initiative, through which she teaches at various tertiary institutions in Ekiti State.
Adetiba commended the Oyebanji administration for the peace in Ekiti and for running students- friendly government and therefore promised on behalf of the students’ body to continue supporting government’s policies and programmes.
The representatives of students’ structures present included National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), Federation of Ekiti State Students Union (FESU), All Ekiti Local Government Students Union Presidents, National Female Students Association of Nigeria, Association of Southern Nigerian Students, National Association of Polytechnic Students, National Association of University Students and Student Union Government of all the Higher Institutions in Ekiti State.