* Kabiyesi has raised bar of development in Ikere – Dep. Gov
By Nudoiba Ojen
The carnival-like Odun Oba Festival in the ancient Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State on Saturday was a celebration of royalty, custom, tradition and development.
It was as well an auspicious moment to review the positive developments in the town in the last one year and as well plan and project for the next one year and beyond.
Indigenes of Ikere Ekiti trooped to the Palace of the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado, for the occasion which distinguished guests from all walks graced.
Among dignitaries at the 2023 Odun Oba Festival celebrated to promote unity, culture and spirit of togetherness were the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; and her predecessors in office, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka and Chief Abiodun Aluko.
Royal fathers in attendance included the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Jiseph Adewole and the Attah of Ayede, Oba Abdul-Mumini Adebayo Orisagbemi.
Oba Adu Alagbado, flanked by his wife, Olori Ololade, radiated joy and happiness as subjects paid homage to the admiration of all and sundry at the colourful event.
The prominent traditional ruler also used the epoch-making occasion to honour some illustrious Nigerians to appreciate their contributions to nation building.
The elated monarch lauded the indigenes for their generous contributions towards the smooth take off of the the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti, following the upgrade of the erstwhile College of Education in the ancient city.
Oba Adu Alagbado appealed to his subjects to contribute towards fortifying the local and conventional security networks in the community to ward off any form of insecurity as he warned ritualists, cultists and fraudsters to steer clear of the town.
“I want all of you to be vigilant. The issue of security is not for government or security agencies alone,” he said.
The monarch charged parents to place high value on the education of their children, describing education as the best weapon to combat poverty in society.
Above all, Oba Adu Alagbado thanked the God Almighty for His grace and mercy that enabled him to be alive to celebrate the 2023 Odun Oba Festival.
He also expressed gratitude to members of Ogoga-in-Council and the Ikere Traditional Council for their support and forthrightness, particularly, Asiwaju Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Otunba Sole Adewumi, Bashorun Tunde Ogunsakin, Prince Feyi Ogoji and others who are working tirelessly for the progress of Ikere Kingdom.
Ekiti State Deputy Governor, who is the Head of Princesses of Ikere Ekiti, Chief Mrs Afuye, charged her fellow indigenes to embrace love, unity and strong spirit of brotherhood for the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adu Alagbado, to achieve his vision of making the town a cynosure of all eyes in terms of development.
Afuye, who is the Okinlua of Ikere Kingdom, pledged Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s government’s readiness to back developmental programmes being midwifed by the town to uplift its standards.
The deputy governor hailed Oba Adu Alagbado for raising the bar of development and fostering peace among the indigenes of the town, describing his reign as memorable and remarkable in all spheres.
She described the community as strategic to the rating of state in terms of development index, revealing that “the government is desirous of taking development to every town in Ekiti, and that Ikere won’t be neglected under this context”.
Afuye appealed to the town to be united and coalesce efforts with the monarch to raise the standard of living of the people through communal actions that will secure the town to become the epicentre of development.
Members of the apex organisation in Ikere Ekiti, the Ikere Development Forum (IDF), pledged unalloyed support to the monarch in his unwavering developmental focus.
IDF National President, Pastor Tope Orolu, applauded the monarch for his innovation to project the town, and make it a microcosm of
development.
Orolu said, “We are happy with the way Kabiyesi has been promoting development, unity and peace in Ikere. We have studied you and we realised that you think more about our growth than yourself.
“We are assuring you that we are behind you. We will continue to support your vision to promote Ikere and make it known for good things nationally and globally,” the IDF reassured.
