Yoruba elders move to salvage education, set up trust fund
By Ime Ola
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

In a bid to empower its youths with qualitative education, a group of concerned Yoruba elders has established the Yoruba Education Trust Fund (YETFUND).









Addressing newsmen in Lagos recently, Chairman of the Steering Committee and former Governor of Central Bank Chief Ola Vincent who expressed concern over the rot in the sector said the fund is designed to meet the educational needs of the time.

He said: “Since the unexpected termination of the second Republic, our education descended to the doldrums. Scholarships stopped and Bursary assistance took its flight. As a result, in Yoruba land 2.2 million children do not have the benefit of formal education. This has come about not through their fault but through the socio-economic situation of pauperised families and the gradual extinction of the middle class.”

Chief Vincent stressed that allowing the trend to continue will portend danger for the country, hence the establishment of the fund to serve the youths today and in the future.

He explained that the fund has come to “Stem the frightening tide of inequity and degradation bedevilling the collective fate of the South-west. It will act as a catalyst for producing the renaissance of the Yoruba glory by equipping its sons and daughters with qualitative, didactic and vocational education.”

The chairman disclosed that the fund targets an initial capital outlay of N10b. “This amount will form the seed money for an empowerment fund that will be professionally managed to guarantee the sustenability of the project.” he said.

According to him, YETFUND founders are men and women who have made their mark in their various fields of endeavour but drawn together by a common vision of improving the lot of their people through qualitative education.

While stressing the need for parents in the South-west to support education even though it is free, he called on well meaning Nigerians to support the fund.

He listed the objectives of YETFUND to include; raising funds for promoting the education of Yoruba people, supporting the provision of educational infrastructure within Yoruba land, initiating and supporting at all levels of government processes that will lead to the enactment of legislation that will enhance access to qualitative education and granting scholarships to deserving students.

Chief Vincent who lamented that the South-west is gradually becoming educationally disadvantaged, called on concerned elders in other ethnic groups to establish seminar funds to support the sector in their respective areas.

Also speaking, a member of the board, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye said: “There are so many things lacking in our education system and we want to support. Our aim is to improve the system and point the way forward to avoid such mistakes in future.”

On his part, Dr Frederick Fasehun, the Oodua Peoples Congress leader said: “This project is not just for the classroom students alone, Vocational education is included.”

Members of the board of Trustees include, former Vice chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Wale Omole, Prince Bola Ajibola, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye , Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, Chief Pricillia Kuye, Professor Bolanle Awe and Professor B.L.A Fetuga.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/mar/31/507.html

I hope the money really goes to the less privileged and not in some thieving pockets like everything else in Nigeria
If individuals had money to help out the underclass,give it directly to the person or persons and not through ventures like this that are mostly shams  set up to enrich some thief meanwhile they've blown their trumpets for all to hear.
The scholarship scheme set up in my hometown ended up a big disaster and the money is still unaccounted for.

Good for Yorubas and Great for Nigeria, Way to go guys. We need to hear things like these in Nigeria. Hope they set up checks and balances so that the funds can get to the right people.

@ Poster. U had to make d topic of ur thread reflect how much of a tribalist u are? If u had left the original media headline Yoruba elders move to salvage education, set up trust fund, It would have been a different thing and a nicer thread to comment and wish u guys d best. Instead, u chose to make bad out of good news by using ur rather one-eyed, self-centered, hating topic Yoruba Moves To Reclaim Lead In Education.

We say NO to tribalists in Nigeria!