Local Government Chairman sponsors 100 UTME candidates
The Chairman of Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Bayo Omojola, has announced that 100 residents of the council will receive sponsorship for the upcoming Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday, Omojola stated that the initiative, under the HBO Educational Intervention, aims to support indigent but academically promising students who lack the financial means to further their education after secondary school.
The council chairman said the local government would not only provide free UTME forms but also cover registration logistics, transportation to examination centres, and assist in securing admission for successful candidates.
“This initiative is about helping our indigent students. When you look at their results, you see that many of them are brilliant, but they cannot afford to take UTME. When we realised this, we decided to support them,” Omojola explained.
“Some youths are roaming the streets without direction. So, we have encouraged those with Secondary School Leaving Certificates to apply. We will provide them with UTME forms, and in the next two to three weeks, we will enroll them in UTME preparatory classes.
“If they achieve good scores, we will assist them in gaining admission. Hopefully, we can secure admission for 60 to 70 percent of them. By doing this, we take some of our youths off the streets.”
Omojola said as of Tuesday morning, 48 candidates had already been registered, with the goal of reaching 100 beneficiaries.
He explained that the local government’s sponsorship was limited to 100 candidates in recognition of the fact that the state government and some political officeholders also offered free UTME forms.
When asked about funding for the initiative, Omojola confirmed that it is being financed through the local government’s education budget.
“We have an allocated budget for education, and we are utilising funds from the local government’s resources. The necessary approvals have been secured, and we will take care of everything, including transportation and feeding,” he stated.
The local government chairman outlined the eligibility criteria for beneficiaries to include that they must be residents of the Ikole Local Government, and come along with two passport photographs, National Identification Number slip, O’Level certificate and JAMB profile code
The registration, Omojola noted, will remain open until March 7.
Beyond registration, Omojola stated that the local government would also cover transportation costs, as there are limited UTME registration and examination centres nearby.
When asked about funding for the initiative, Omojola confirmed that it is being financed through the local government’s education budget.
“We have an allocated budget for education, and we are utilising funds from the local government’s resources. The necessary approvals have been secured, and we will take care of everything, including transportation and feeding,” he stated.
The local government chairman outlined the eligibility criteria for beneficiaries to include that they must be residents of the Ikole Local Government, and come along with two passport photographs, National Identification Number slip, O’Level certificate and JAMB profile code
The registration, Omojola noted, will remain open until March 7.
Beyond registration, Omojola stated that the local government would also cover transportation costs, as there are limited UTME registration and examination centres nearby.
“We will assist them with logistics, including biometric capturing. Most of them have already generated their JAMB profile codes. By Thursday, we will facilitate their biometric capturing,” he added.
