By Josephine Obute
Lagos – The reigning Queen Moremi Ajasoro has offered scholarship to fashion design apprentice Kamoli Olajide, who lost his father to death and his mother bedridden for months, after she was involved in an auto accident.
The queen, Miss Shola Shittu, announced this gesture to Olajide, a student of Holy Family School, and to other recipients after her visit to their schools on Saturday.
The schools she visited are: Holy Family Schools, Alex School, Privailer School and Patrician School, all within Ijegun, Ikotun and Igando, all located within the suburbs of Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the queen’s visit to the schools was part of activities to mark their end of the academic session.
NAN also reports that Olajide had lost the hope of continuing his education at the senior secondary school level following his parents’ predicament.
He had enrolled as an apprentice with a fashion designer before this opportunity came his way.
The queen, represented by Mrs Vivian Onyebukwa, told NAN that the gesture was part of her pet project of caring for the less privileged, especially indigent children, in the society .
“I am pleased to associate myself with children in the suburbs to see and feel their pains; this is in line with the vision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
“His vision of giving back to the society is directly implemented through the House of Oduduwa Foundation and managed by Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, who sent me to this area,’’ she told NAN.
According to her, there are so many children out there who cannot afford to go to school due to one reason or the other and we have come to assist them.
She added that more indigent school children would benefit from the kind gesture of the foundation during her subsequent visits.
“These kids are God-given gifts to our parents and we must offer a hand of fellowship to encourage them achieve their goals, which will also reduce crimes in the society.
“If we don’t engage these children, they will become easy prey to gangsters, cultists, cybercrime, and other vices in the society,” she told NAN.
Mrs Joke Olajide, the mother of Kamoli Olajide , in her reaction wept for joy for the gesture .
She thanked the queen and all that assisted in selecting her son to be among the lucky recipients.
“I thank the queen for giving me this great offer; May God continue to bless her, I also thank Oba Ogunwusi, our good spirited giver.
“I want to also thank the foundation, managed by the Queen’s cultural ambassador, Princess Ademiluyi, who sent the queen to our local area, may God bless them,” she said.
One of the recipients, Kamoli Olajide, told NAN that the queen had restored his lost hope of continuing with his senior secondary school.
“I thank God for this offer by the queen because my mum said she would not able to continue to sponsor my education at the senior secondary level.
“I had thought I would remain a tailor which I had learning as an apprentice after school hours before now because there was no one to assist my mother in sponsoring my education, “he told NAN.
NAN reports that the queen also gave gifts to other pupils of schools visited by her.
The pupils of the schools entertained the queen and her entourage with “Bata’’ dance, the songs specially composed for her a drama by the Queen Moremi Ajasoro drama group.