Prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Wole Olanipekun has been speaking about how the problem of corruption can be tackled in Nigeria.
The legal luminary also described education as a light that can give the people of Nigeria freedom and loosen the chains of poverty and breed good citizens in the country.
Olanipekun stated that the first thing any Nigerian government should do is to nip corruption in the bud or to reduce it to a minimal level and give the citizens free education.
The legal giant, made the disclosure at the 21st edition of “Chief Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Awards” held at the “Iyaniwura House, Moshood Road, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where he gave millions of naira scholarship to over 100 brilliant but indigent students in secondary and higher institutions in his country home and other Nigerians, including special awardees and law school students.
According to him, “these are the things the least corrupt countries in the world like Sweden and Singapore are doing for their citizens”, adding that they are providing certainty for the people in their old age.
“Educated citizenry is a potent way to fight corruption as no educated citizen will encourage any politician particularly those who are gainfully employed to go and loot the treasury”
Olanipekun further stated that “Nigeria is in dare need of genuine, honest and God-fearing leaders who will act as role models and mentors to the helpless battalion of youths roaming our streets all over the country”.
In his lecture at the scholarship award, Prof. Kunle Adegun noted that integrity has been a major factor in the evolution of crisis in the educational system in Nigeria, creating a big phenomenon of education somersault right from primary school to our leaders and followers.
The former deputy Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, EKSU, Prof. Adegun, identified the problem saying many stakeholders in the education sector lack integrity in their operations and relationship.
He outlined the areas to include: management/students relationship, management/union relationship, academic staff/students relationship as well as parents/students/management relationship.
According to him, the scheme which started in 1996, yearly award of scholarship to not less than 206 students from all cadres of education including Nigerian law school, assisting brilliant but indigent students, should be commended by all.
Prof. Adegun, said the rate of poverty in Nigeria remains unacceptable, as Nigeria has one of the world’s highest economic growth rates averaging 7.4 percent.
“Poverty has risen in Nigeria with almost 100 million living on less than $1 per day”.
He added that many cannot even pay the school fees of their children again.
Prof. Adegun called on well meaning Nigerians to enhance the realization of full potentials of the poor children that lack resources like what Chief Wole Olanipekun, is doing to help the education of some indigent but brilliant students to attain their full potentials.
The Chairman of the day, Otunba Sola Adewumi, commended Chief Wole Olanipekun, for sacrificing part of his hard earned wealth for the scholarship scheme.
He called on the beneficiaries, to use the gesture to glorify God in the life of Chief Olanipekun when it is time for them to help others in the future.
Otunba Adewumi, called on Ikere people to embrace peace and shun conspiracy within them, adding that they should all work for the development of the community.
Packaged by Alice Egbedele
