Shonibare’s Descendants Inaugurate Scholarship Awards

The children of the late Samuel Olatubosun Shonibare have initiated a scholarship foundation and a small business grant, both of which are geared towards helping the indigent in the society.

Shonibare was the treasurer of the defunct Action Group, a party headed by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Wednesday at a media briefing on the activities marking the 50th anniversary of Shonibare’s demise, one of the children of the late politician, Mrs. Idowu Ashiru, said the scholarship was initiated to help give brilliant but financially disadvantaged secondary school leavers an opportunity to obtain university education.

The small business grant, she explained, would also give indigent people who want to start a small scale business the opportunity to do so.

“The initiatives will be managed under the Awujale Palace Initiative,” Ashiru said; recalling that these areas were two of the ideals that her late father loved to promote.

She also disclosed that she had written a book entitled, ‘Memories of My Father,’ which would be inaugurated alongside other initiatives.

While shedding light on the qualifications for the scholarship, Ashiru said the process would be competitive and wholly based on merit.

“Prospective beneficiaries would be made to write an 800-word topical essay, and
those who were shortlisted would be rated based on some predetermined criteria,” she noted.

She added, “It’s going to be an annual event, and that’s why even the beneficiaries will only continue to enjoy the scholarship awards if they maintain good academic record and also if they perform well in the annual essay competitions through which beneficiaries will be selected on a yearly basis,” she warned.

Strictly meant for pupils who attend selected schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Ashiru said 11 secondary schools have been chosen for the initiative, and they include the Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu Muslim College, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Luba Comprehensive High School, Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School and Moslem Comprehensive High school.

Others are Molipa Comprehensive High School, Christ Church High School, Anglican Girls High School, Muslim Girls High School, and Ansar-U-Deen Comprehensive High School.