…Targets revival of Awolowo’s free education legacy, says financial barriers must not destroy children’s dreams
In what further underscores his growing profile as an advocate of grassroots educational advancement, Hon. Salaudeen Kabeer Adebayo (SKA), the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate for Saki West State Constituency in the 2027 Oyo State House of Assembly election, has once again extended his educational intervention to 700 students from Saki and neighbouring communities through a scholarship scheme covering their studies at Ajetunmobi College of Education, Kwara State.
The latest intervention, presented at Primerose Model College, is another chapter in SKA’s decade-long investment in education, a commitment he insists predates his entrance into partisan politics and is driven by a personal conviction that no society can achieve meaningful development without deliberately investing in its younger generation.
With the beneficiaries’ school fees already paid, the initiative seeks to remove one of the most significant obstacles confronting families seeking tertiary educational opportunities for their children.
Addressing the gathering, Barrister Kunle Adepoju, Team Lead of the scholarship administration, described SKA’s commitment as a commendable demonstration of purposeful leadership and genuine concern for the future of young people.
He praised the APM candidate for consistently using his resources to create opportunities for students, stressing that the intervention was more than the payment of school fees; it was an investment in future professionals, responsible citizens and potential leaders.
Adepoju urged SKA not to relent in his efforts, encouraging him to continue planting what he described as seeds of prosperity in the lives of generations yet unborn.
He disclosed that the tuition fees of all 700 beneficiaries had been settled by SKA and consequently challenged the students to repay the gesture through outstanding academic performances.
He warned against treating the scholarship as an opportunity to relax or misuse the privilege, insisting that the beneficiaries must understand that the investment comes with a responsibility to excel.
‘My Dream Is to Restore Awolowo’s Free Education Legacy’ — SKA
In a passionate declaration of his educational philosophy, Hon. Salaudeen Kabeer Adebayo said his ultimate dream was to bring back the era of accessible and free education associated with the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He explained that his intervention in education was not a campaign-season gimmick or a political investment intended to secure votes, noting that he had consistently supported students for about ten years before becoming actively involved in partisan politics.
For SKA, the scholarship scheme represents a practical expression of his belief that education should be an opportunity available to every deserving child, rather than a privilege reserved for families with financial strength.
He challenged the beneficiaries to understand the enormous responsibility attached to the opportunity, warning that the absence of tuition obligations should never become an excuse for academic indiscipline.
He urged them to distinguish between receiving assistance and wasting an opportunity, encouraging them to pursue excellence, develop productive skills and become responsible citizens capable of transforming their communities.
He further charged the students to become living examples of the proposition that education remains the greatest legacy any society can bequeath to its future generations.
No Political Discrimination in Scholarship Distribution — Soliu
The Leader of the House of the Saki West Legislative Arms, Hon. Salaudeen Soliu Abiodun, reinforced the non-partisan nature of the initiative, declaring that the scholarship was not restricted to beneficiaries whose parents belonged to the APM or supported SKA politically.
He explained that eligible residents of Saki West and its surrounding communities were entitled to benefit from the programme without discrimination based on political affiliation.
His position reinforced the argument that education should be treated as a collective community responsibility rather than a partisan instrument.
APM Chairman Calls for Political Reciprocity
Meanwhile, the APM Chairman in Saki West Local Government, Alhaji Idris Aloma, called on the people to reciprocate SKA’s contributions to educational development by supporting his ambition to represent the constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly in 2027.
He maintained that the scholarship intervention demonstrated the importance of leaders who place human capital development among their priorities.
Beneficiaries Acknowledge a Decade of Investment
Adding an important dimension to the event, student representatives acknowledged SKA’s longstanding contribution to educational development, with one of them revealing that he had personally benefited from the scholarship scheme before the latest disbursement.
The representative described the intervention as a meaningful investment in the future of Saki students and urged the latest beneficiaries to appreciate the opportunity through academic commitment and responsible conduct.
He also called on them to reciprocate the support they were receiving, including by recognising SKA’s political aspiration ahead of the 2027 election.
The beneficiaries, in their collective response, expressed gratitude for the intervention and promised to justify the confidence reposed in them by remaining focused on their studies and refusing to misuse the privilege.
