Sola POPOOLA
High profile politicians, including the Leader of Senate,Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, governor of Ekiti State,Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji have saluted the commitment , consistency and undying spirit of the legal icon and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chief Wole Olanipekun in lifting the poor through his act of philanthropy.
The eminent Nigerians spoke at the 27th edition of the Scholarship Award Scheme and 4th Empowerment Programme instituted by the Wole Olsnipekun Foundation(WOF) held at Ikere-Ekiti ,the countryhome of the legal icon where about 1050 people were captured.
The ceremony was graced by creme de la creme of the society and some top traditional rulers in Ekiti State led by the Ogoga of Ikere,Oba Adejimi Adu On his entourage were the Alara of Aramoko,Oba Olu Adeyrmi, the Oloye of Oye Kingdom, Oba Ademoloju Adegbole.
Others were; the Ajero of Ijero ,Oba Adebayo Adewole and Alaaye of Efon Kingdom, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare .
Atleast 250 Students benefitted from the Schorlaship schemes ranging from Secondary Schools to University / Law School Education levels.
In this year’s Annual Empowerment Grants through Wole Olanipekun Foundation WOF 1, have the Youth Entrepreneurship Grant of N50,000 each to 100 beneficiaries. In addition to this, the aged and widows grants of N30,000 each to 100 beneficiaries while palliatives were also given to 600 beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries empowerment cut across the 11 Wards, religious Institutions and Trade Associations in Ikere annually with painstaking screening due diligence and without bias or any influence by the promoter.
And the beneficiaries ,according to the organisers, do not need to know anybody to benefit. Knowing anybody does not guarantee the criteria.
Governor Oyebanji while Congratulating Olanipekun also described him as one of greatest Ekiti man and Lawyers in Nigeria today.
According to him, Chief Olanipekun through his heart of gold had mentored many Nigerians who have reached the pinnacles of true chosen careers today.
Oyebanji who described himself as one of the mentees of Olanipekun said Ekiti.,and in deed, Nigeria is blessed to have the calibre of the legal icon.
The governor also promised to regularly attend the annual programme in snd out of office.
Governor Oyebanji ,therefore said the best way the beneficiaries can show appreciation was to also impact on lives of others by utilising the grants properly and judiciously too.
In his speech at the occasion ,Chief Olanipekun who disclosed that the economic crisis had assumed a global dimension calling on well to do Nigerians to rise to occasion and give back to the society .
The foremost Lawyer and immediate past Chairman, body of benchers warned the current hardship, particularly in Nigeria could heightened ttrsbfer of aggression among frustrated Nigerians which no one ,including the rich would be auared from it dire consequences .
Chief Olanipekun said “this year’s event comes with another pleasant twist and flavor with the addition of 600 palliative beneficiaries which is beyond the normal annual beneficiaries.
He said that, the primary aim of the empowerment initiative is to help the youths realize their potential through self-awareness, giving hope to the aged and propagating good life through grants.
Speaking in parables, Olanipekun said ” If you are sleeping and snoring in your house and you care less about your neighbour ; the cries of your neighbours will wake you up one day and you may not be able to sleep again.We have a lot of people that are hungry, thirsty, poverty stricken in the society. We have to lift up souls. The essence of today is, how do we add value to humanity. “
“How much it is essential to lift people up from their ugly and terrible situations. I came from this environment and I have been trying to lift people up to help them to grow and be lifted up. It takes grace to give, it takes grace to recognize people that are in need”.
“The essence of humanity is to add value to lives, adding that, there are lots of hungry people who have been affected by the economic downturn, as such, called for more collaborations from well meaning Nigerians.
“There are transfer of aggression against people like you and I in the society today , and that is what we need to address. In a situation where we have almost 50 percent of people who are stinkingly poor, and another 20 percent who are loosing their jobs, while only the remaining 30 percent are the ones saying they are okay. Then we must do something to avert the unexpected situation. ”
The founder WOF expressed the doubt if there are any one in the Country today, who can boldly say that they are okay today.
Olanipekun explained that “the various empowerment initiatives aimed at bringing the best out of our youths to realize their given potential through the various annual grants and awards have not only galvanized the beneficiaries over the years to channel their energies productively by adding values to themselves and the society, but all they also have is extension been adding values to others, and living lives meaningfully. While the Aged and Widows have been given hope and a good lease of life through the annual grants too.”
In his remarks, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Bamidele commended the Initiative, saying that, he is glad to be part of the process.
Senator Bamidele disclosed that he had to cancelled an important official engagement to attend the event in person due to the respect and regard he has for Chief Olanipekun.
According to him,he was billed to lead a delegation of some parliamentarians on an overseas trip .
“Today’s event is the confirmation of a true and age-long philosophy that no ‘man owns himself to himself alone’. Every man owns himself probably to his immediate family, community or society and that is what Chief Wole Olanipekun has demonstrated today. I am glad to be a part of it as it is a call for all of us to give back to society”.The Senate Leader said .
Also speaking,the Ogoga expressed tbe community’s appreciation to Chief Olanipekun for always willing and ready to give back .
Oba Adejimi disclosed Olanipekun’s academic brilliance as a student encouraged him to seek admission at the university of Lagos in those days.
The monarch enjoined his subjects to always show love and pray for Olanipekun so that he could live long in the service of the immunity and humanity .
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