Kunle Adelabu
The Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, Emugoriade I, on Friday, November 8, 2019, led guests, prominent leaders, sons and daughters of Igbogbo in raising more funds for the proposed Ultra-Modern Town Hall for the community.
The occasion, which was held at the HOMAT Megalite hall, Igbogbo, was the 3rd edition of the ‘Dinner with Adeboruwa: His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali’ and Fund Raising event for the proposed Town hall.
The design for the proposed town hall was unveiled in 2017.
Oba Kasali, in his royal message at the event, stated that he attached great importance to the project and appealed to residents and guests to donate towards generously towards its actualization.
“I appreciated all our guests and donors for coming out tonight to give us supports.
“I attach great importance to what we are doing here today.
“There are many others who are supposed to be here tonight but had called to inform me about why they will be unable to attend.
He specifically charged some prominent residents to ensure the achievement of the aims of the dinner.
“In all, I still want to task the council chairman, Hon. Sesan Daini, Hon. Adebimpe Akinsola, Aremo Ogunlewe and others that they must ensure that we achieve the aims and objectives of our gathering here tonight by asking their friends and associates to contribute generously towards the project”, the Kabiyesi appealed.
“Aside this hall, we still have other numerous projects that are still in the pipeline”,he revealed.
The revered monarch also charged community leaders to support the planning committee of Igbogbo Day for a successful outing this year.
The Chairman of the Igbogbo Development Association (IDEA), Dr Omotunde Ogunlaja, in his welcome address at the dinner event, stated that the initiative was initiated as mark of honour for the Adeboruwa and also to raise fund and garner support for developmental projects in Igbogbo.
“This is a special day in honour of our highly revered Oba, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo”, he stated
“The purpose of the dinner is to raise fund for the development of Igbogbo. It is not going to be a one-off event but a continuous exercise”.
While asking guests and members of the public to donate generously towards the project, Dr Ogunlaja also assured that the community would have something to show for the donations in terms of laying the foundation of the project.
“We are appealing to all of us to donate generously towards the project.
“By this time next year, we will be able to show what the fund that we have been generating has been used for. We should be able to start the foundation”, he assured.
Alhai Babatunde Rotinwa, the Chairman of the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission and the Chairman of the occasion, commended the Igbogbo community for the initiative and called on members of the public to support it.
“This is a big project and everybody must be brought on board to contribute. Every sons and daughters of Igbogbo and friends must be involved because it is a community project” , Alhaji Rotinwa stated.
He assured that the current government in Lagos State, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would open up Igbogbo in terms of infrastructure.
“Igbogbo must be opened up for outsiders to come in and this current government is prepared to do that in terms of provision of roads and other infrastructural developments”, he assured.
“I enjoin everybody to support IDEA in its quest to develop Igbogbo”.
Alhaji Rotinwa also pledged his own financial contribution towards the project.
His Excellency, the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, who also attended the event, stated that impactful developments have been happening in Igbogbo since Oba Kasali mounted the throne.
He commended the initiative of town hall construction and pleaded with guests and the public to give the project maximum support while also pledging his own support.
Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, while also speaking, commended the Igbogbo youths for imbibing the spirit of advancing the development of Igbogbo and like others who spoke before him, he appealed to members of the public to contribute their quotas towards the actualization of the project.
“I want to thank the youths of Igbogbo who have taken the challenge to organize Igbogbo Day to further the cause of Igbogbo development, for keeping the hope alive.
“Coming here today, I can see the rejuvenation of developmental attitudes and actions that we have been clamouring for in our youths to enable them take over the mantle in moving Igbogbo forward” , Basorun stated.
He appealed to everybody to donate generously towards the project.
The former Secretary to the State Government, who described the Ikorodu Town hall as a pride, recalled how the entire division came together to build the edifice.
He also assured Igbogbo residents and guests at the occasion that the state government would complete the abandoned Igbogbo-Bola Tinubu road and other projects, stating that the projects has been included in the 2020 budgets.
Also, former Lagos State Head of Service and the Aremo of Igbogbo Kingdom, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, stated that every other town in the division wants to have its own town hall because of its importance.
“The town hall in Ikorodu is a divisional hall because we all contributed to it”, he stated.
“It’s because of the importance of a town hall that is making other parts of the division to be interested in having such a befitting edifice. I appeal to you all and other parts of the division to also contribute towards the construction of the Igbogbo town hall”.
Millions of naira were raised in cash, cheques and pledges at the dinner.
Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, the representative of Ikorodu Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly, while pledging his support towards the project, also assured that the State Government would soon commence rehabilitation of roads in Igbogbo and other parts of the division.
In his own address, the Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area, Comrade Sesan Daini, thanked the Igbogbo community for assisting the council in embarking on developmental projects while also pledging the full support of his administration for the project.
Hon. Adebimpe Akinsola, former member, Lagos State House of Assembly, in her own contribution, called for unity among Igbogbo people if they are to move the community forward while also challenging them to be part of the project.
Alhaji Olawale Amusa, the Chief Executive Officer, HOMAT Group of Schools, while also challenging members of the community to contribute towards the project, appealed to the chairman of the occasion and chieftains of the Ikorodu Division Resources Development Group, managers of Ikorodu Town hall, to contribute towards the construction of a befitting town hall in Igbogbo.
