Olanipekun Laments Level Of Aggression In Display By Nigerians 

… Just As He Empower Over 1050 Students, Others In Ekiti 

By Akubulu Ngozi

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Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, the founder and Chairman of Wole Olanipekun Foundation, WOF and that of the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme, WOSS, has lamented the level of aggression in display by Nigerians as a terrible one.

Olanipekun, the Nigerian renowned Lawyer made the disclosure on Saturday while interacting with journalists at his Ikere Ekiti residence after empowering students, market women and many others numbering over 1,050 with several millions of naira.

The Ekiti born philanthropist and lawyer while speaking further, called on other well meaning Nigerians to rise to the occasion and join him in the task of lifting people out of poverty and their low level lifestyles in the Country. 

According to him, he said, “the essence of humanity is to add value to lives, adding that, there are lots of hungry people who have been affected by the economic downturn, as such, called for more collaborations from well meaning Nigerians.

He said, “we have a lot of people that are hungry, thirsty, poverty stricken in the society. We have to lift up souls. The essence of today is, how do we add value to humanity. 

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“There are transferred aggression against people like you and I in the nation and that is what we need to address. In a situation where we have almost 50 percent of people who are stinkingly poor, and another 20 percent who are loosing their jobs, while only the remaining 30 percent are the ones saying they are okay.

“He expressed the doubt if there are any one in the Country today, who can boldly say that they are okay? 

Continuing, Olanipekun declared “how much it is essential to lift people up from their ugly and terrible situations. I came from this environment and I have been trying to lift people up to help them to grow and be lifted up. It takes grace to give, it takes grace to recognize people that are in need”.

Earlier, Chief Olanipekun while delivering his speech at the Programme, revealed the provisions for the empowerment, saying, “this year’s event comes with another pleasant twist and flavor with the addition of 600 palliative beneficiaries which is beyond the normal annual beneficiaries. 

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Giving a breakdown of those who benefitted from the 2023 Annual Scholarships through the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme, WOSS, he said “250 Students ranging from Secondary Schools to University / Law School Education levels. 

“He revealed that the Annual Empowerment Grants through Wole Olanipekun Foundation WOF 1, the Youth Entrepreneurship Grant of N50,000 each to 100 beneficiaries, the aged and widows grant of N30,000 each to 100 beneficiaries as well as palliatives were also given to 600 beneficiaries.”

More so, stating the aim of the empowerment,  Olanipekun said that, the primary aim of the empowerment initiative is to help the youths realize their potential through self-awareness, giving hope to the aged and propagating good life through grants.

He said, “The various empowerment initiatives aimed at bringing the best out of our youths to realize their given potential through the various annual grants and awards have not only galvanized the beneficiaries over the years to channel their energies productively by adding values to themselves and the society, but all they also have is extension been adding values to others, and living lives meaningfully. While the Aged and Widows have been given hope and a good lease of life through the annual grants too.”

Speaking on the beneficiaries, he said, “the beneficiaries e6mpowerment cut across the 11 Wards, religious Institutions and Trade Associations in Ikere annually with painstaking screening due diligence and without bias or any influence by the promoter. The beneficiaries do not need to know anybody to benefit. Knowing anybody does not guarantee the criteria.”

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Meanwhile, the Senate Majority Leader,

Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele while speaking with newsmen, commended the Initiative, saying that, he is glad to be part of the process.

He said, “Today’s event is the confirmation of a true and age-long philosophy that no ‘man owns himself to himself alone’. Every man owns himself probably to his immediate family, community or society and that is what Chief Wole Olanipekun has demonstrated today. I am glad to be a part of it as it is a call for all of us to give back to society”. 

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