Date: 2015-12-19

The signature tune for the celebration of the 53rd birthday of Dr. Bukola Saraki, the President of the Senate was set at the Mandate hall, Olorunsogo, last Monday when 500 JAMB forms were distributed free of charge to indigent students across the four LGs of Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa LGAs that make up Kwara Central senatorial district which he primarily represents at the upper national legislature .

Standing up to his place in history, having been Governor of Kwara state for eight years the free JAMB form bonanza was also extended to same category of students across all the remaining 12 LGAs of the State. In same vein and in realisation of the cosmopolitan nature of the State, another percentage was set aside for non indigenes resident in Kwara state. They are good partakers in the social, economic and political dynamics of the state. The youths were his focus because of his conviction that that they are the most vulnerable ?to manipulation if they remain uneducated or poorly educated.

ThE criteria that was enunciated is to "have - on - hand" the basic requirement that guarantees admission to Universities, ?Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in any part of Nigeria . Since 2004, his 2nd year in office of his 1st term, this has been his tradition to cater for those who have ability but were hamstrung by funds. And so far according to the records ,over 10,000 people have benefited.

When one puts this gesture in context and futuristic perspective we can see a crystallization of future elites and leaders of tomorrow emerging for the benefit of kwara Central senatorial district, kwara state, Nigeria and the world at large because many of them will eventually serve at the universal level.

Senator Saraki appears to have paid a lot of premium on education because of his realisation that education is one of the greatest agents of holistic development and upward mobilization. This much was attested to by Prof. Lawrence Kohlsberg in his Theory of Moral Development.

The founding fathers of Nigeria viz Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Premier of the Western region , Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna of Sokoto as Premier of the Northern region and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as Premier of the Eastern region all made their marks in the affairs of leadership because of the strong and unwavering attention they gave to education.

They were meticulous in making strong points about whomsoever excelled in educational pursuit so as to cast him as a model,irrespective of his/her creed,religious, social or political background.

When one Mr. John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan emerged the best in Nigeria and one the best students in West Africa after his Secondary School at St. Micheals Secondary School Aliade ,Benue state in 1962, the Premier of the North Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna of Sokoto drove all the way from the Kaduna the seat of government and brought all the members of his cabinet to congratulate John in Kabba as a shining star of the Northern region. Today he is the Archbishop of Abuja Diocese and a Cardinal , the peak of his sacerdotal calling. He narrowly missed being Pontiff to abdicated Pope Benedict XVI and incumbent Pope Francis.

When a certain Bola Ige made wave as an outstanding student of Classics and student leader at the University of Ibadan, Chief Awolowo specifically invited him into Action Group and thrusted him into the leadership structure . He rose to become the Governor of old Oyo state in 1979 and his achievements are impeccable till date.

When Mck Ajuluchukwu showed brilliance Zik of Africa first pulled him to be Editor of his own newspaper the West African Pilot in the 50s and later the head of the Eastern Nigeria Information Service when he became Premier.

Coming from his educational background, it is remarkable that the Senate President has pitched tent with fathers of Nigeria .

When two Law students of the University of Ilorin, Mohammed Abdullahi Tosin from Irepodun and Adam Muhammed Ndakudu from Patigi made first class in their final exams the President of the Senate specifically organised a huge ceremony for them at the great hall and awarded them full scholarship to the Law School where they are currently studying.

The money came from his pension as former Governor of the state. And he was regale to announce that his pension entitlement would become a scheme for scholarship to brilliant but indigent students.

When the past records exposed the failure rate of secondary school students in the five core subjects at school certificate level, he as Governor of Kwara state took a huge leap by giving free textbooks in those core subjects to all students in Secondary schools all over the state irrespective of who they were or where they came from.

To drive the point home and poignantly too, he brought visiting President Olusegun Obasanjo to flag off the ceremony at GSS Ilorin.

When the school infrastructural decay was poking at the face, his government constructed thousands of classrooms at the primary and secondary schools all over the state. And in deference to role and status of GSS, Ilorin as the oldest secondary school in Kwara state and the 13th in Nigeria that has and still continue to churn out outstanding individuals for the development of humanity in all spheres of life, he ordered full renovation of the school popularly called Alalubosa among the locales. For balance the best performing Community Secondary School at WASC level,Okelele, one Muslim established school Ansar -ul -Islam Secondary School Ilorin and one Christian established secondary school Bishop Smith Memorial College, Ilorin all enjoyed the full pecking of renovation in his time as Governor of the state.

In order to cap the educational edifice he established the Kwara State University (KWASU) at Malete and brought foremost lecturer and a man of the world with diplomatic panache Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari as Chancellor.

As I join multitude of admirers to wish the Senate President HAPPY BIRTHDAY so do I wish my boy Shina the best of December 19th which he fortuitously shares with our leader.

Kayode Omotose writes from Ilorin .