NIGERIA’S high commissioner to the United Kingdom Justice George Oguntade has pledged to use his office to facilitate the ongoing process of the diaspora helping to boost education and other socio-economic programmes back home through a series of community initiatives.
Speaking earlier today while receiving the executive committee of Ondo Union UK, Justice Oguntade said he fully backed their plans to build a student hostel in Nigeria. Ondo Union UK is building a hostel to house pupils from Adeyemi College of Education, the Wesley University of Science and Technology and the University of Medical Sciences.
To raise funds for the project, Ondo Union UK is holding a fundraising event on Saturday September 14 at St Olaves Church Hall in north London and Justice Oguntade has pledged to not only attend but also be the chief launcher. He said he lauds such initiatives and will use his office to encourage all diasporan organisations to promote similar projects back in Nigeria, especially when it pertains to education.
Justice Oguntade said: “I am delighted to receive you here and applaud what you are doing. Be rest assured I will be present at your event and would like to use this occasion to encourage you and wall other similar Nigerian community organisations in the UK to keep on doing good things like this.”
Ayo Akinfe, the president of Ondo Union UK, added: “Given the challenges Nigeria is facing with education, we have taken it upon ourselves to build a hostel for university students. In Nigeria today, many students are unable to afford accommodation, so we have decided to contribute our quota to the country’s education challenge by providing a student hostel and subsidised and affordable rates.”
Also present at the meeting, was Paulinus Nwokoro, the acting head of the welfare and education department, Oludare Folowosele, the special assistant to the high commissioner and Mr DI George, a counsellor in the education and welfare section. Ondo Union UK officials who attended include treasurer Dapo Ayodeji, assistant secretary Bunmi Otuyemi and social secretary Tunrayo Adeoye.
On September 14, their fundraising event tagged Ekimogun Day 2019, will start at 3pm at St Olaves Church Hall London N4 2TW and will last until 10pm. Among other things, it will feature entertainment, cultural displays and an array of traditional Ondo cuisine including asun, pounded yam and ila asepo.
