On May 27, 2021, Azeez Suliya, a young girl from the slums of Iju Station and a primary six pupil of Iju Primary School 2 came second during the Felicia Agubata Science Competition and Scholarship For Girls In Primary School (FASCOS), winning N690,000.

The event was organised by The Association Of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Lagos Chapter.

The Award presentation was held at Vetland School, Agege, where the winners received N690, 000, Education/Trust Scholarship Fund. The three winners were Taiwo Oloyede Sekinat (1st), Azeez Suliya Boluwatife (2nd) and Adeyi Taiwo (3rd).

According to the organisers, the winners will receive the sum of N100,000 each at the beginning of every academic session provided they continue with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-related courses.

This scholarship is meant to run for 6 years (JSS1-SS3); i.e 100,000 for each academic session.

However, one year later, Azeez Suliya received only N60,000 despite being in JSS 2 as Station Junior Grammar School and continuing with STEM-related courses.

The Touching Story Of Azeez Suliya

12-year-old Suliya is the daughter of two autistic parents, with the mother working as a maid at different roadside canteens washing plates and fetching water.

The mother, popularly called Iya Misturah (name of her first child) is well known in Iju Station and environs as she also fetches water for residents who pay her stipends for her labour.

The father is also not different. Brother Abbey (Biodun) also takes menial jobs within and outside the community for survival.

Going to school for Suliya has been a challenging task as members of the immediate family are the ones with the burden of ensuring she gets an education, just like her other siblings.

As such, the family was full of joy when she came second at the Felicia Agubata Science Competition and Scholarship For Girls In Primary School and hoped her education throughout secondary school was covered.

However, the hope is gradually fading away.

What happened To Suliya’s N690,000 Scholarship?

IfakoIjaiyeNews spoke with Suliya and she narrated her side of the story.

She said, “My name is Azeez Suliya Boluwatife, a JSS2 student of Station Junior Grammar School.

“In 2021, at Vetland school, I came second at a competition for young girls and received a cheque of N690,000. It was the happiest moment of my life. My mum cried when she heard the story and everybody was happy for me because going to school has been challenging. Sometimes, I only eat once daily. because my parents are autistic.

“When I came second, I was in Primary 6 at Iju Primary School. I don’t know about others but all I got was N60,000 cash (in an envelope) from then till now. I am now in JSS 2 and we still do STEM-related courses.”

Suliya didn’t receive the N100,000 meant for her in JSS1 and now, she’s also due for another N100,000 in JSS2.

She appealed to authorities to come to her aid and ensure she fulfils her potential because education remains the only way to give her parents good life.

What The Organiser Said

Our reporter reached out to Engineer Atinuke, the Financial Secretary of APWEN at the time the competition held for clarification on the matter.

Responding promptly, she confirmed that Suliya is meant to receive N100,000 per session if she continues with the STEM-related courses.

When our reporter further explained that Suliya is currently in JSS 2 and still continuing with STEM-related courses, she apologised and said Suliya should get in touch with her report card and her letter of admission into Iju Station Grammar School.

According to her, they (Suliya and her people) were meant to get back to the organisers when she gained admission into secondary school.

The aunt and a family member of Suliya, however, said they met with some representatives of the education board, with Education Secretary, Ifako –Ijaiye Local Government Education, Hon Adeyemi Olalekan Jongbo, present.

When IfakoIjaiyeNews reached out to Hon Jongbon, he said he wasn’t in the right place to comment and that our reporter should contact the organiser.

Questions from IfakoIjaiyeNews

There are some questions that need immediate answers and they are:

If Suliya is meant to get N100,000 per session for 6 academic sessions (JSS1-SS3), which totals N600,000, the first payment she received should have been 90,000 and not N60,000. This would have brought the total amount to N690,000 as seen in the cheque presented to her.

Secondly, the mix-up (If it could be called that) is also an indictment on the organisers who clearly have no database to track the academic progress of their awardees.

IfakoIjaiyeNews will stay on the story and update the public on the outcome of the matter, whichever way it goes.

Efforts are also being made to track down the two other winners to know if it is the same at their end.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been edited to reflect that Engineer Atinuke, as at the time of the event in 2021 was the Financial Secretary of the Association and not the president as erroneously put. We regret the error.