Fawaz Adebisi
The Ogun State Government has fulfilled its pledge to reward outstanding graduates of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, by presenting ₦2.5m each to nine beneficiaries, weeks after a Platform Times report spotlighted the death of a top graduate who passed away before receiving the promised cash award.
The pledge was made by Governor Dapo Abiodun at MAPOLY’s 15th Combined Convocation Ceremony in June 2025, when he announced a ₦2bn intervention fund for the institution and promised ₦2.5m rewards to outstanding graduates dating back to 2016.
Among the beneficiaries was the family of the late Orisawayi Samuel Emmanuel, popularly known as Samoriz, who died in December 2025 before the state government could deliver the cash reward promised to him for emerging as one of the institution’s best graduating students.
Receiving the award on behalf of his late brother, Johnson Timileyin recounted the painful health challenges that preceded his death.
“After treatment, he was able to talk again, but he could not walk very well. We took him back to the hospital …” Timileyin said, explaining that the family continued to care for him at their mother’s home before communication suddenly stopped and they were later informed of his passing.
In his words, the loss remains deeply felt by the family.
“Every day we cry … It is not about the money. He made this through education,” he said, adding that the award would be used to honour his brother’s memory by supporting the education of younger relatives and possibly immortalising his name through future initiatives.
The award ceremony, organised by the Ogun State Ministry of Education, also recognised outstanding students, teachers and schools across primary and secondary levels as part of the state’s broader push to promote academic excellence.
Presenting the awards, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, reiterated the government’s commitment to investing in human capital and rewarding diligence in learning.
Prof Arigbabu stressed that the government is working hard to curb examination malpractice as well as promote academic excellence.
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