Pat Stephens/
Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has set Twitter on fire after donating N5 million and a three-bedroom bungalow to Olamilekan Agbelesebioba aka Laycon who recently emerged as grand prize winner of the Big Brother Naija reality show.
Abiodun also appointed 26-year-old Laycon as the Youth Ambassador of Ogun State.
The governor made the announcement when he hosted Laycon in his office in Abeokuta. This has sparked mixed reactions on Twitter as he was praised and condemned for the gesture which some people saw as encouraging and others described it as misplaced priority.
Laycon’s N85million Grand Prize earlier won in the BBNaija game included a trip to Portugal, trip to Dubai for two, all-expense-paid trip to Guinness St James Gate Brewery in Dublin, to Scotland for Johnie Walker, to Turkey for Champions League final, Innoson G-Wagon and a house in Lekki.
While announcing his gifts and appointment to Laycon, the governor expressed hope that “his good character, excellence, good virtues, calmness, and integrity would serve as a model to the youths in the state”.
He said, “It is hoped that you will help inspire our teeming youths to channel their energies towards positive engagements and shun vices, such as robbery, drug abuse, cultism, advanced fee fraud, cybercrime, and kidnapping, amongst other negative tendencies.”
Abiodun described Laycon’s conduct in the House as a demonstration of the “Omoluabi” virtue, which he said was the primary ingredient of an average Ogun indigene.
He observed that in spite of all the odds, temptations, and provocations, the BBNaija show winner was able to come out unscathed and uninvolved in any scandal or immoral act.
He added, “You have also demonstrated, with the way you carried out your assigned tasks in the House with comportment, intellectual responses to questions and your spirit of fair-play through which your academic achievement at the University of Lagos was earned.
“This has also shown that our universities can and still produce graduates who are found worthy in both character and learning.
“Indeed, what we are celebrating today is much more than the entertainment that the House provided, but what you represent: a rare combination of prodigious intellect, academic excellence, multi-faceted talents, character, and resilience.
“I believe your career will draw inspiration from great sons and daughters of Ogun, who have made their marks in their respective chosen careers.”
The governor said he was impressed with Laycon’s display while in the House, just as he urged parents and guardians to help in nurturing the talents of their children and wards in order for them to be useful to themselves and the society in the future. He maintained that parents and guardians should realise that there was life outside the four walls of classrooms, “as entertainers are also successful men and women, who are contributing to national development”.
Abiodun said that his administration would continue to unleash the creative energies of the youth and the generality of the people as innovators, academics, researchers, entertainers, and creative artists in public and private sectors and, formal and informal sectors, for the continued development of the nation.
According to him, plans are at an advanced stage to build an ‘Entertainment Village’ for filmmakers, artists, and musicians, where their skills could be nurtured with added value for the socio-economic development. A visibly excited Laycon praised the governor for his youth-oriented programmes and promised to work with him to ensure that the “Building Our Future Together” agenda of his administration is successful.
Laycon, a graduate of the University of Lagos, is a rapper and singer. He is currently signed on to Fierce Nation record label.
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