By John Odunayo
THE Oore of Otun Ekiti and the Paramount Ruler of Mobaland, Oba Adekunle Adeayo Adeagbo, is a man of honour, he deserves honour, he gets honour and indeed he has honour.
That is why honours continue to come the way of the traditional ruler, who is the Southwest Coordinator of National Council of Traditional Rulers from all directions.
It was praises galore for the revered traditional ruler at the Civic Center, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of Top Society.
The awards event was part of activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary Top Society magazine and online publication.
He was honoured on the occasion alongside an accomplished engineer and the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule and some other eminent Nigerians.
The Obalufe of Ile-Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura; the Elejesi of Ejesi Ile Ife, Oba Babatunde Adetokunbo Awosunle; and the Sarun Oduduwa, Chief Oyeyemi Oriowo; were among the dignitaries that graced the event to honour the Oore.
The Publisher of Top Society Magazine, Mr Isaac Ifeanyichukwu Agwazim, organisers of the awards, said the honours were to appreciate and celebrate Nigerians who had distinguished themselves and made
tremendous impact in their chosen fields.
Oba Adeagbo, who commended the vision of the organisers, saying such would spur excellent behavior and attitude in many Nigerians.
The monarch said, “Specifically, the group said they were honouring us for our passion and consistency in community development, religious tolerance, education of the youths of our community and encouraging diaspora citizens of Otun Ekiti in investing in healthcare and as well our transparency on issues concerning Otun community and Mobaland in general as the paramount ruler”.
The revered traditional ruler, who said he was humbled with the recognition and honour, said, “It’s a call to serve my people more as the Chief Servant of the community.
“It is a privilege to be in this exalted position because by the grace of God Almighty we are the mirror of our cherished community and the custodian of our culture, tradition and history.The Kabiyesi is the link between the past and the present and the promoter of the present to the future. It is a sacred trust and Kabiyesi believes his ancestors will back him and make him succeed”.
According to Oba Adeagbo, the award has challenged him to do more just as the sacred scriptures says…forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out to new goals and objectives that will help Otun Ekiti, Ekiti State and Nigeria in general.
The monarch advised leaders to see themselves as servants to the people, adding, ” A good name is better than gold and silver. Leaders should learn to engage with their people regularly and provide proactive solutions that will be of direct benefit to the grassroots”.
Oba Adeagbo, who said that he and the Nasarawa governor got the two highest awards for the night, said, “Both personalities have some things in common – passion, love for their people, transparency in governance, accountability, community engagement, openness to fresh ideas on issues and humility.
“I am not surprised at Governor Sule’s performance in office because I have been following his activities since his days as Managing Director of AP Oil and when he was the Group Managing Director of Dangote Sugar. He leaves indelible marks of excellence wherever he worked and he has brought private sector capacity to the public sector,” Oba Adeagbo said.
