"Empowering Education and Ageing: Mr. Ade Ayeni’s Impactful Speech at OSRC Courtesy Visit"

SPEECH DELIVERED BY MR ADE AYENI,CHAIRMAN BODE OLAJUMOKE EDUCATION AND HOSPITALITY INITIATIVE/CO-CHAIR 1 NSCC COMMITTEE ONDO STAKEHOLDERS' CONSULTATIVE FORUM ON AGEING, ON THURSDAY,26TH JUNE,2025,ON THE OCCASION OF THE TWO OUTFITS' COURTESY CALL ON THE DIRECTOR GENERAL/ CEO OF THE OSRC MEDIA GROUP, AKURE.

PROTOCOL

This is to congratulate you on behalf of the Chief Patron of the National Senior Citizens Centre(NSCC)Ondo Steering Committee on Ageing and the Convener of the Bode Olajumoke Education and Hospitality lnitiative, Sen.Bode Olajumoke(Phd),the Special Adviser to the Committee,Bar Benjamin Jaiyeola,who is also the Hon Clerk of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the entire members of the Steering Committee made up of 2 Co-chairs and 6 Vice-chairs, with the Director of Social Welfare of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare,

on your recent appointment as the Director General/C.E.O of the OSRC Media group.

I must also mention that our special partners, Samanthsappy Home care led by Mrs Folasade Sanyaolu and the Elder Persons' Association of Nigeria (EPAN) represented here by Dr Olatubosun Moses Olaniyan, current National secretary and Mr Augustine Ofuoyebi Assistant State Secretary who are here with us, also felicitate with you on this auspicious occasion.

Firstly,the Bode Olajumoke Education and Hospitality lnitiative(BOHEI),whicb is trending now in the media, came into being as a result of the collective resolve of the friends,and associates of Senator Bode Olajumoke.

This is a structure being built to support the individual but impactful efforts of Dr Bode Olajumoke who has been involved passionately for many years in giving out scholarships to many students in various Nigerian institutions and abroad,especially his deep and emotional involvement with Persons Living with Disabilities.

It is therefore dedicated to promoting access to education for underprivileged and deserving students in our educational institutions in Nigeria.

The body also intends to support research and curriculum development in the long run.

In order to sustain this important legacy, the Board of the lnitiative has as one of its first activities decided to organize the 1st Bode Olajumoke Public Lecture on Tuesday,1st July 2025,a date on which he is celebrating his 81st Birthday.

This will take place at the Dome commencing from 12 noon that day.

The Guest Speaker for the day is a former Governor of Ondo State,Dr Rahman Mimiko,with the topic:

CONQUEROR, CONQUERED AND CONSEQUENCES - A DISCOURSE ON BRAIN DRAIN.

We hereby request for a full coverage of the event by all the media outfits under your supervision and a half hour post event re-broadcast of the entire event on all your stations.

On the other hand,we are here to see you on behalf of the Ondo State Steering Committee of the National Senior Citizens Centre,(NSCC) which is a Federal Agency established by the Federal Government through the NSCC Act 2017 to identify the needs of Older Persons in our society and take care of their general welfare and needs.

To promote this advocacy throughout the Federation,the NSCC inaugurated Steering Committees in all the 36 States in the country and the Federal Capital Territory in the year 2022 in order to build stakeholders' Partnerships with States snd the Local Governments.

Following the above, the Steering Committee members were received with open arms by the Ondo state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, where the Director of Social Welfare provided the use of his office for our meetings.

We must point out the special role played by our Chief Patron Senator Bode Olajumoke who has sustained the steering committee since he accepted to be our Chief Patron.

It also very important to mention that the Special Adviser on Women Affairs to the Governor now a Commissioner Designate, was amazingly supportive of our activities since she resumed office in her present capacity.

We must mention the Ministries of Justice and Health which have stood up prominently to give the necessary support and advice.

The Ondo State Radiovision Corporation(OSRC) deserve a special mention among the agencies of government which have contributed immensely to the success of our programmes since our inception in 2022.

Now with a new Director General at the helm of affairs at the National Headquarters of the NSCC in Abuja,a new chapter is about to be opened in the history of the Commission.

The new Director General is

Hon. Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe who incidentally is from this State.

That throws a big challenge at us to be more hardworking and creative in driving the process in Ondo State.l like to inform you that Ondo State Steering Committee with the support of our partners, Samanthsappy Home Care and the Elderly Persons' Association of Nigeria was one of the 13 states that won the grant to organize the Promotion of Healthy Living and Walk For Life program in April this year, under the tenure of the former NSCC Director-general.

Having said all these,our outstanding objectives which we are yet to meet, include the very important one of

Domesticating the National Senior Citizens Center Act 17 by the Ondo state government through a bill of the State House of Assembly.

No State in the South West has so far domesticated this important ACT, and it would be a thing of great joy for us if Ondo takes a lead in this repect by domesticating the Act before the end of this year 2025.

We also intend to facilitate the building of a Multipurpose Senior Citizens Centre in Ondo state by liaising between the State government and the National Citizens Centre in Abuja before the end of next year.

Currently we are in the process of establishing at least 3 Big Multipurpose Cooperative Societies in the the State, one each in the 3 Senatorial Districts that we have.

It is on this note that l wish to call on the Director General/CEO of the Ondo State Media Group to use his good offices to ensure that the stations under his purview partner with us in our bid to achieve our noble objectives.

One thing we can do first and foremost is to design some programmes for the Elderly on all your stations and we should ensure that the programmes are fully sponsored by eminent people in the state.

Finally, l like to thank you very much for opening your doors to us at such a short notice.

We sincerely wish you a very successful tenure in office.

Thank you and God bless.

Signed

Ade Ayeni