Kunle ADELABU
-Asiwaju Basorun, High Chief Salis, Hon. Benson, Hon. Solaja, 15 others honoured with awards
The traditional ruler of the ancient Igbogbo Kingdom, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, Emugoriade I and the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom in Ikorodu division of Lagos State, has charged sons, daughters and residents alike to use the enormous human and material potentials of the community to influence developments into the town.
The First Class monarch made the charge during the grand finale of the 2018 Igbogbo Day Celebration which also marked the 30th anniversary of the annual community festival.
This year’s edition of the celebration came to a glorious end on Saturday, November 24, 2018, with a carnival-like outing at the Igbogbo Community Stadium.
Popular Fuji musician, Alhaji Alabi Pasuma, was on the ground to entertain traditional rulers, guests and thousands of Igbogbo residents who converged on the venue to celebrate with Oba Kasali.
At the memorable event were the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Shotobi, Ojora of Lagos, Oba Abdulfatai Aromire, Ranodu of Imota, Oba Bakare Agoro and Obateru of Egbin, Oba Akeem Oyebo, Sekumade of Ipakodo, Oba Bashir Sotonwa, the Regent/Olisa of Ijede, high Chief Alliu Musediq, His Eminence (Asiwaju) Olorunfunmi Basorun, Asiwaju Owolabi Salis represented by wife, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, Chief Dele Olowu, Otunba (Sir) Ayodele Elesho, Hon. Babajimi Benson represented by his senior legislative aide, Mr Bayo Oteju, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, Alhaja Risikat Allison among others.
While commending the sons and daughters of Igbogbo for their responses to the development of the community, Oba Kasali also charged them to take advantage of the huge potentials in the community to influence more developments into the town.
He described the annual celebration as a means of fostering kinship and promote friendliness in the ancient community.
“I am exceedingly glad to welcome sons and daughters, residents and friends of Igbogbo Kingdom to the grand finale of this year’s Igbogbo Day which is the 30th edition of our annual community day. I lead the Oba-in-Council, Adeboruwa palace, Igbogbo, to acknowledge the growing recognition of self-help efforts by groups and individuals of our land as inescapable tools for community development.
“The Igbogbo Day celebration has come a long way. It was originally designed to foster our collective kinship and cultivate the great benefits it can throw back to the society.
“By the standard of the contemporary world, citizens exert influences on potentials within and around them with a goal – to develop themselves and their societies. Ultimately, with determined pursuit, they and their societies become persons or centres of reckoning.”
Oba Kasali admonished corporate bodies and others to be alive to their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) in contributing to the development of Igbogbo.
“As said in another portion, I admonish groups and individuals to give more priority to utilizing part of their resources as contributions towards the development of our community.
“We are richly blessed with talents and sundry resources. Sons and daughters of Igbogbo Kingdom have a role to play which is to simply look inward and exploit the talents in them to the maximum. There must be a determination to develop self in line with their God-given abilities and the support of all civil authorities” , Oba Kasali charged.
“’A Festival of New Opportunities’ is beckoning on all individuals to play definite roles in all human endeavours. A crop of well-developed individuals forms the bedrock of well-developed societies” , the Kabiyesi stated.
Comrade Olusesam Mayokun Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), while speaking at the event, stated that the Igbogbo Day is a day to remember what binds the people of the town together.
He called the attention of the residents to the enormous and rich culture and values in Igbogbo which according to him, are of great value to the global community.
“Igbogbo Day in history give us the opportunity to remember what binds us together as a people. It is a day for us to be reminded that we are united by our heritage. It’s a day to share the prosperity of what we believed in for 30 years. It’s a day our culture matured and progress into another phase of life. Today is a day of celebration and progress.
“Our 30 years anniversary today is a signal to the international community that we are first in celebrating and promoting the traditional artefacts from Ikorodu Division to the whole world. Our progenitors, leaders and living legends from this noble town of Igbogbo played a key role in defending and bequeathing colourful culture and norms to our generation and the next yet unborn.
Sir Kola Ogunkoya, President, Igbogbo Development Association (IDEA), in his welcome address, stated some of the landmark achievements of the association which included the rehabilitation of the Adeboruwa palace by the State Government, the building of Adeboruwa pavilion and maintenance of a strong relationship with clubs and others within the community.
He also listed the proposed modern City Hall and lightening of major streets and places as part of the projects IDEA is embarking upon.
The Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP), Mr Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi, who was one of the special guests of honour at the event, commended the people of Igbogbo for their solidarity and sense of commitment to the development of Igbogbo and Ikorodu division through the annual celebration which he said has helped in promoting the cultural values of the division.
He commended Oba Kasali for providing good leadership which he said has turned around the status of the ancient community.
The politician, who is aspiring for the Governorship position of the state, assured thousands of guests and people at the Igbogbo community stadium venue of the event that his party has a great dream for the community, division and the entire state.
Four categories of awards, – Founder, Royal, CDA and Community Development Awards were bestowed on 19 individuals and associations that have distinguished themselves in the promotion and development of Igbogbo community and humanity.
The Founder award was bestowed on the First Secretary to the State Government, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, while High Chief Owolabi Salis, Alhaji Tairu Olawale Amusa, Hon. Chief (Otunba) James Udoma, Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, Alhaji Mukaila Onabanjo, Hon. Babajimi Benson and Mr Tunji Shokefun received Royal awards.
The award of Community Development Association (CDA) of the year went to the Horizon Estate CDA, Igbogbo.
Mr Akomolafe Olaniyi Joseph, Chief Dili Attah, Mr Obale Tajudeen, Pastor Adenaike Olusegun, Mr Kingsley Omoruyi, Mr Mutiu Wasiu Oludaisi, Chief Lucky Uri, Alhaji Mudashiru Muhammed and Mr Asimiyi Tijani were conferred with Community Development Awards.
The star winner of this year’s Igbogbo Day Celebration, Miss Funmilayo Tijani Yofunhmi, the owner of Ayobosola Store, went home with a bus after she was picked by Oba Kasali in a raffle draw held during the celebration.
Several other people equally won other exciting prizes such as fridge, television set, mobile phones in the raffle draw.
