Kunle Adelabu
The Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom and the Secretary of the Ijebu Obas in Lagos State, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, Chairman of the Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Association (LCDA), Comrade Sesan Daini and President of the Igbogbo Development Association (IDEA), Chief (Dr) Omotunde Ogunlaja, have called on sons, daughters and residents of the community to use the annual Igbogbo Day celebration to bring about developments in the town.
This appeal was contained in their respective speeches at the Grand Finale of the 2019 Igbogbo Day celebration which was held at the Igbogbo Township Stadium on Saturday, November 30, 2019.
Some of the traditional rulers that graced the occasion in felicitation with the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo and residents of the ancient town were His Royal Majesties, Oba Mudashiru Ajibade Agoro, Ranodu of Imota, Oba Richard Ogunsanya, Olubeshe of Ibeshe and Oba Bashir Aremu Sotonwa, Sekumade of Ipakodo, Oba Aderibigbe Asumo, Alayandelu of Odo-Ayandelu, Oba Abdulateef Taiwo Badru, Elejigbo of Langbasa and Oba Nelson Obayomi Ogunlari, Olowu of Owu-Ikosi.
Also at the memorable occasion were important dignitaries such as Hon Babajimi Adekoge Benson, Member of House of Representatives, Hon Nurudeen Solaja, Member, Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ikorodu Constituency II, Hon. Adeola Banjo, Chairman Ikorodu North LCDA, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, Member, Governor Advisory Council, Sen. Seye Ogunlewe, former Minister for Works, Aremo Segun Ogunlewe, Aremo of Igbogbo Kingdom and former Head of Service, Lagos State, Hon. (Chief) Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, former acting Commissioner Tourism and Special Adviser on Arts & Culture, Otunba Ganiu Abiru, Chairman, Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Otunba Ayodele Elesho, former Commissioner for Information and the Agbaakin of Ikorodu, Chief Niyi Banjoko, the Gbobaniyi of Ikorodu and Alhaji Fatai Kolalwole, Vice Chairman, IKODASS among many others.
Meanwhile, Oba Kasali, in his royal address, stated that the annual festival is not only initiated for merry making but also as an avenue for residents to come together and advance the course of action for the development of the town.
“Igbogbo Day should be a rendezvous of all the sons, daughters and friends of Igbogbo Kingdom not only to deliberate, but also take contemplative actions on the future of the kingdom. Ideas rule the world. Nations, big or small, exploit the rich resources the Omnipotent has endowed them with. It is expected that we think well and act well”, Oba Kasali stated.
While commending the founding fathers of Igbogbo for their sacrifices and efforts in developing Igbogbo, the traditional ruler also called on families to endow a charity or monument in their honour.
“Many great ones had planted themselves in the sand of time by their individual exploits. Again, I thank the legends of our community for their sacrifice of love for the land; they hoped (and still in the race) to better the lot of their community and her people. Their memories will linger forever.
“This is a good opportunity to invite all well-to-do members of the kingdom to spare a time to invest in it as the future belongs to all of us together. We can endow a charity or monument anywhere in the kingdom for its benefit to the memory of loved ones. We will be celebrated for that”.
The royal father charged stakeholders to ensure that the annual Igbogbo Day celebration is repositioned in such a way that it will be more relevant to the development of the community.
“As we celebrate, it is possible for us to fashion out what we need to do to make the programme become more relevant. We should device every strategy to make us become the economic as well as the socio-cultural hub of the Division. What can we do to achieve this?”, he asked
“I beckon on us all to double our energy, increase our faith and equally believe in ourselves to make all the difference”, he challenged sons and daughters of Igbogbo community”.
While stating that youths are the future of the community, Oba Kasali also charged them to be part of the process of building a great Igbogbo society and also calling on stakeholders to assist in addressing societal ills.
The monarch also urged the youths not to take to cultism and gangsterism as a way out of the collapsed system.
The Chairman of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Comrade Daini Olusesan, in his own address, stated that the yearly celebration is a way of working collectively for development and charged the people in the community to continually deploy their resources towards the successes and development of Igbogbo community.
“This occasion represents a remarkable landmark in our open demonstration towards the development of Igbogbo kingdom. It’s a watershed and a defining moment in our expression of not only upholding the developmental legacies bestowed on us by our ancestors, but also to strive harder in making Igbogbo a greater and better place for us all and for the generations coming behind us”.
While thanking the residents for their supports towards the celebration, he also charged them to maintain law and order, peace and healthy environment during and after the celebration.
“To this extent, whilst we appreciate our commitments, in terms of time, money, energy and other material resources, towards the success of this occasion, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA wishes and hereby solicits the cooperation of all us in maintaining peace, healthy environment, law and order in all our activities during and after this celebration.
“We implore us all to cooperate with our traditional and community leaders in order to continue to make Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA a place of pride for all of us in terms of communal peace, growth and development”, he appealed.
Dr Omotunde Ogunlaja, President, Igbogbo Development Association (IDEA), while also addressing the august gathering, acknowledged the efforts of the founding fathers for initiating the annual event in their quest to develop Igbogbo and charged stakeholders to focus on the developmental objectives that Igbogbo Day Celebration is initiated to achieve.
“While we are reveling and enjoying the celebration of this day, we must focus on the main reason we are gathered here for today. The main purpose of our gathering is to promote the development of our town, Igbogbo, in all its ramifications; socially, educationally, commercially and infrastructurally.
“To this extent, we plan to build a befitting Igbogbo ultra-modern town hall and we need the support of your eminent personalities here present to achieve this”.
While stating that government alone cannot provide everything, Dr Ogunlaja added that:
“The implications of these are that all communities must seriously embark on self-help to develop”.
He also challenged sons, daughters and friends of Igbogbo to support the aim of the annual celebration to bring development by contributing financially towards the proposed Igbogbo Untra-Modern Town Hall.
“While we continue to lobby government and seek the support of our friends and well-wishers such as eminent and blessed personalities here present, it behooves on us as indigenes and residents of Igbogbo to dig deep into our pocket to support this laudable project.
“If, for instance, one thousands of us donate a minimum of Five Thousand naira, that will amount to Five Million naira, that’s less than what we regularly spend on Aso Ebi. Of course, those who are blessed can donate their six figures and millions. There’s a Yoruba adage that says,”AISI MBE LAI BA WON DASI”. (You will have to contribute your own quota since you are with us). May God help us as we live up to our responsibilities”.
The IDEA President also appealed to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to pay compensation to the owners of the houses demolished for road construction in Igbogbo while also asking the government to urgently rehabilitate inners roads in Igbogbo.
“I would like to humbly seize this opportunity to appeal to our amiable governor to urgently approve and pay compensation to our people whose property were demolished in 2017 for road development. We would also like to appeal for the urgent rehabilitations of our inner roads in Igbogbo which are currently virtually impassable”, Dr Ogunlaja appealed to government.
