Oluwaseun Ajayi, Adekunle Okikiola & Itunuoluwa Ogundipe
As part of the activities of the ongoing Igbogbo Day Celebrations, different market and trade associations in Igbogbo and its environs on Wednesday, November 22, paid homage to His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo amidst joy and love.
The event, which marked the seventh day of the marathon celebration, was tagged “Oloja/Adeboruwa Day”.
Over thirty market groups and assosiations gathered at the Adeboruwa pavillion located inside the Adeboruwa Palace on that day to felicitate with the monarch on the occasion of the Igbogbo Day celebration which also coincided with his one year coronation anniversary.
Some of these market groups and associations were Adeboruwa Retail Market, Igbogbo/Baiyeku Market, Owode-Kaniyi Market in Igbogbo, Agunfoye Market, Igbogbo Butchers Association, Grinding Machine Operators Association, Igbogbo branch, and Professional Carpenters Association in Igbogbo.
Others included Professional Photographers Association in Igbogbo, Barbers Association, Igbogbo branch, Rental Services Association, Igbogbo branch, Nigerian Union of Tailors, Igbogbo/Baiyeku Chapter, Hairdressers Association, Igbogbo branch, and Shoe Makers Association, Igbogbo branch among many others.
The event, which started behind schedule due to the frantic struggle among members of the market groups and associations, who were over ten dozens, for space to settle down, saw leaders of each market group and association leading their respective members to pay homage to Oba Kasali and also presented gifts to him in commemoration of his first year coronation anniversary.
Notable among the gifts presented was a cow by the Butchers Association and a big customised royal chair by the Professional Carpenters.
The different exciting colours of the beautiful attires worn by members of the market groups and associations gave the fun-filled event a colourful atmosphere.
The occasion also provided leaders of some of the associations the opportunity to seek Oba Kasali’s intervention in some of the problems facing them to enable unity and co-operations reign in the associations and Igbogbo in general.
Among the problems is the refusal by some people to register and identify with existing groups.
Engr. Femi Kalejaiye, Chairman, 2017 Igbogbo Day Planning Committee, while speaking with THE IMPACT at the event, described the reign of Oba Kasali as peaceful and progressive.
“It is a celebration of new beginning and the people of Igbogbo are really showing support for the King, especially on the occassion of his one year coronation annivesary which we are celebrating alongside the 26th Igbogbo Day Celebration”, he stated.
“Our King is a man who has been destined to rule Igbogbo kingdom. He has proven himself as a worthy King. On ascending the throne of his ancestors, he sought the supports from other traditional rulers in Ikorodu division like Oba Kabiru Shotobi, Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Ajibade Agoro, Ranodu of Imota and others as well as some eminent persons and today, what we are witnessing is the applicability of the experiences he acquired as a lawyer and as a senior state counsel and those tapped from his consultations. Today, we are witnessing growth and progress in Igbogbo kingdom. We are also witnessing more peace than ever before since his ascendancy”.
AIRTEL, a telecommunication giant in Nigeria which is one of the sponsors of this year’s Igbogbo Day celebration, was on ground to give out free SIM cards to residents.
There were also free medical checkups for members of the public.
