The Standard Bearer Islamic Organization (SB) has awarded no fewer than 60 best Muslim students in Ile Ife, Ilesha, Owena, Akure and Iwo who excelled in her Career Mentorship Programme (CMP) and scholarship for WAEC/NECO examinations.
The scholarship examination, conducted across the country by the National body of the Standard Bearers Islamic Organization, included Mathematics and English Language tagged ‘Career Mentorship Program’ (CMP 2022) and was conducted for over 1000 Muslim students who are in SS3 across the country.
The awards ceremony for Ile Ife, Ilesha, Owena, Akure, and Iwo Zones was held on Saturday, 12th February, 2022 at Ife Central Mosque in Ile Ife. Similar awards have previously been held in Abuja (FCT), Osogbo, Osun state this year. The grand finale of the awards ceremony will hold in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Another highlight of the award ceremony was the inauguration of the CMP Ambassadors Forum which is a forum of the past awardees of the CMP and members of the Standard Bearers who have distinguished themselves in their chosen career. It is aimed to create an enabling environment to properly mentor the young minds into professionals in the nearest future.
Four Muslim students emerged as the winners of the WAEC Scholarship in category 1 having scored 60 marks and above in the screening examination. They include; Adebayo Ibrahim (Ife) took first position, Bamigbose Aishat Adeola (Ilesha) took second position, Aminu Junaid (Akure) took third position and Ibrahim Abdullah Abefe (Ife) took fourth position.
The category 1 winners were given #15,000 each to assist them in paying their WAEC fees.
Thirteen Muslim students in category 2 who failed to beat the cut off mark but scored above 50% in the screening examination were given #7,500 each to also assist them in paying for their Senior Secondary Examination fees.
43 Muslim students who did not meet up with the scholarship cut off mark were given certificates of participation and textbook of their choice to prepare them for the upcoming examination.
Few other students who despite not passing the screening examination but had serious cases of financial incapabilities were also assisted with varying cash awards.
While speaking with our correspondent, the winner for Ife Zone and the National overall second best with 69%, Ibrahim, expressed his happiness for the opportunity given to him by the SB.
When he was asked about how he felt when he emerged the winner, he said: ‘ I was very happy. I thank God everything comes out well and I didn’t disappoint my parents’.
He also advised the students at his level to be very hardworking, prayerful and seek advice in everything they do in life.
Why the SB Award?
The State Coordinator of the Standard Bearers Islamic organization of Ife zone, Ustaz Fatai Hassan said the award of scholarships which started six years ago, is designed to help the less privileged in the society, especially the indigent who find it difficult to fund the payment for their final school certificate examination.
He said: “These are ways of helping the government, helping the society to bring about development especially in the area of education. The idea emanated from the fact that we noted that most these students don’t have enough especially, the brilliant but indigent ones.
” We deemed it to contribute our own quota in this little way, so the indigent ones could also have sound education. We believe this will assist them in reaching their goals in life and thereby becoming productive members of the society.
He urged government on the need to collaborate with willing and relevant nongovernmental organisations like the SB in their bid to help the indigent students in the pursuit of their education.
Speaking during the awards day, Prof. O. Owolarafe from Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, while delivering his lecture stressed the essence of attaching seriousness to everything one does in life.
He also advised the students to refrain themselves from the habit of using unnecessary excuses to destroy their plans and goals.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Ile-Ife, Sheik Abdul-Sami Abdul-Hameed emphasised on the necessity of Muslim children to be educated as to overcome some of the challenges and unequal treatments to which Muslims are being subjected in politics and other domains relevant to decision making in our society.
He commended the efforts of the organizers as well as those of the beneficiaries and charged them to watch everything they are doing because what we do today is an history tomorrow.
He also implored the students to see the organisers, guest lecturers, and parents as their model from whom they need to learn a lot and seek advice on the cause of their journey in life.
He also advised parents to always treat children equally especially in giving education.
Dignitaries at the award ceremony include; Prof.Owolarafe, Mr Abdulqadir Odelade, Central Admission Officer, Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun state,, Dr. Ajiboye Suhaib Osunleke, the former HOD of Chemical Engineering Department, OAU, Sheik Abdul-Sami Abdul-Hameed, the Chief Imam of Ile-Ife, the Naibul Imam of Ife Land, School Proprietors, parents , well wishers of the awardees and many others graced the occasion.
