Kunle Adelabu
-Organisers get traditional blessings for this year’s celebration
Thirty – one years after the commencement of the Igbogbo Day annual celebrations, the community has agreed to take stock of how far it has gone and project for the future at a Stakeholders’ Summit that will feature in this year’s edition.
The summit is scheduled to be held alongside the grand finale of the 32nd annual celebration of the ancient community at the Mikky Onas hall, Bola Tinubu Way, Igbogbo, on Saturday, December 12, 2020.
Programmes scheduled for the Day 1 of the low – key annual celebration slated to start on Thursday (tomorrow) are Iwure Day at the Adeboruwa palace, Advocacy Walk Against Violence & Youthful Exuberance, and the Oloja Day at Kaniyi Owode market.
Day 2 is strictly for the Special Jumat Service at the Igbogbo Central Mosque located along the Odofin road in Igbogbo on Friday, December 11, while the annual celebration is expected to be rounded – off with a Special Thanksgiving service at the United African Methodist Church (Eleja), Igbogbo.
Meanwhile, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, His Royal Majesty (Oba) Barr. Semuideen Orimadegun Kasali, and the entire Adeboruwa – in – Council has on Tuesday (yesterday) gave royal blessings and approval to programmes presented before them by the Igbogbo Day Central Planning Committee led by Mr Gbenga Faniyi, when the body visited the Adeboruwa palace.
The royal father commended the planning committee for its activities over the years and charged them on the need to be on the same page with the entire community.
“I appeal to you to bring everybody on board. We need all groups and interests to be carried along”, Oba Kasali appealed.
“We need to be on the same page to achieve successes and move Igbogbo forward. We cannot no longer continue to do things the old way”, he further charged.
While asking organisers of the annual Igbogbo Day to bring sons and daughters and other lovers of the ancient town on board to assist in developing the community, Oba Kasali also charged them to endeavor to create a unique brand for Igbogbo within the Divisional setting.
“We are yet to explore all the opportunities there is for the development of Igbogbo. We need you to bring back home sons and daughters of Igbogbo in various ministries, both at state and federal levels.
“We also want you to use your contacts and connections to bring your people over to help develop our community. Until you start doing this, we may not achieve anything”, the royal father stated.
“There is also the need to create a unique identity for Igbogbo within the Ikorodu Division. Ikorodu, Imota and others have theirs. We are relying on you to move the community forward and your decision to have a stakeholders’ summit as part of this year’s activities is commendable”, the royal father charged.
“Let use this year’s celebration to discuss what we have achieved so far and see where we are and also project forward”, the monarch said while giving his royal blessings for the programme of activities.
High Chief Tajudeen Duduyemi Onasanya, the Odofin of Igbogbo, also commended the planning committee for the summit which he said would avail stakeholders in the ancient community the opportunity to contribute to the development of the town.
According to the highly revered chief, the summit became necessary because the community exhibited cooperation and unity last during the 9th edition of the Igbogbpo Day celebration.
“I commend the organisers for including this summit into this year’s programme. It will be an opportunity for everybody to talk.
“It was at the 9th edition of the Igbogbo Day that the community exhibited cooperation and unity last. After that, our problem started at the 10th edition”, Odofin recalled.
“We need to talk because we have to know where we are coming from; where we are presently and where we are going”, he added.
He also charged the committee to see to the achievement of having an ultra-modern town hall in Igbogbo community, a project, which according to him, is gradually turning elusive.
“It was at the 10th Igbogbo Day in 1997/98 that the organizers then said that they wanted to build an ultra – modern town hall for the community but till date, we are yet to achieve that. There is need for action to achieve this”, High Chief Onasanya charged the organisers.
He also enjoined them to take ownership of the landed property which the community has sourced for the town hall project.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Igbogbo Day Central Planning Committee, Mr Olugbenga Faniyi, speaking with THE IMPACT, said that their visit to the palace was to intimate the royal father on their programmes for this year’s Igbogbo Day celebration and exchange ideas on how to achieve them.
“Our visit here today is all about the programmes for this year’s Igbogbo Day celebration and how to go about it. We are here to let them know about our expectations from them and what they should expect from us concerning our programmes and their purposes”, he said.
On the ultra – modern town hall, the planning committee chairman stated that they have been making progress in achieving the project.
“We have been making progress concerning the ultra-modern hall. Although, the project is long overdue, we are focus on achieving it”, he said.
“One thing is to have an idea and the other thing is not going back on it. The issue is not about achieving it immediately, but being focused on it. We have been trying and presently, we are like 25% into it. I said that because the issue of the land and part of the fund for the construction has been resolved”.
Faniyi also stated that unlike the previous editions where members of the community and associations had free attendance, only three representatives per associations and other recognized groups will be allowed to attend this year’s programmes in conformity with the COVID – 19 protocols.
