joshuaEmulate Babalola, Wife For BBBF’s Scholarships, Parents, Beneficiaries Urge govt, others
Success Nwogu
Parents and beneficiaries of the scholarship award by a non-governmental organization, Bayo and Bunmi Babalola Foundation (BBBF), have urge government at all levels in Nigeria, corporate organisations, other NGOs, individuals, organisations, donor agencies, to emulate BBBF founder and sponsor, Pastor Engineer Sunday Adebayo Babalola and his wife, Pastor Bunmi Babalola, who is also a co-founder and co-sponsor of the BBBF scholarships and other philanthropic outreaches, for their continued philanthropic gestures.
They also urged governments, other concerned individuals, corporate organizations, donor agencies, associations and groups to invest more in educational growth.
In a statement on Monday, the parents and the beneficiaries speaking on the ninth edition of the scholarships ceremony organized by BBBF in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, they also eulogised their benefactors for their philanthropic outreaches.
They opined that the scholarship awards and other philanthropic outreaches of BBBF, even in the current biting economic downturn and hardship, epitomized the depth of commitment of Babalola and his wife to the concern and improvement of the living standard of the people as well as for their human capital development.
The parents and the BBBF’s scholarship beneficiaries also pray to God to maximally reward the benefactors and grant them healthy long life and more marital bliss and fulfillment.
According to them, other politicians should emulate Babalola, a former Kwara State governorship aspirant and his wife.
The beneficiaries include different groups of pupils and students across various educational levels.
According to the statement, they include 204 tertiary students, 88 Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) students, 66 Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) students, along with 254 students from Junior Secondary School 1 and 2 (JSS1 and JSS2) and Senior Secondary School 1 and 2 (SS1 and SS2).
A parent of a beneficiary: Bodunde Temilade Florence, said: “What the pastor is doing is not common. If most prominent Nigerians were to follow suit, poverty would be eradicated in Nigeria.”
Another parent, Popoola Sunkanmi, said his child had benefited from the scholarship for three years and was on the verge of graduation. He said the scholarship has , positive impact on the beneficiaries, parents and society.
He lauded Babalola and his wife and prayed to God to continue to bless and reward them.
He said: “My child has benefitted for the past three years and he is now about to graduate and he has been doing a lot. The gesture cannot be overemphasized.”
A student of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ilorin, identified simply as Banji said: “With the increase in our school fees, the scholarship will help me a lot. It will also ease my parents’ burden, and I want to thank the sponsors for their generous gesture.”
A student at the College of Medicine at Ekiti State University, Adeniran Favour Oluwaseun, who is also a beneficiary of the scheme said: “This is my first time receiving this scholarship. I thank the sponsors because it will enable me to read more and strive to do even better.”
A Microbiology student at Kwara State University, identified simply as Peter, who also received the scholarship thanked the benefactors.
He said: “I am pleased and honoured with this opportunity. I am a student hustling to sponsor my education, and this scholarship will make it easier for me to pay my rent immediately.”
