Kunle ADELABU
The Chairman of the Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Otunba Olusegun Ganiyu Abiru, has assured stakeholders and other residents of Ikorodu division that they would start seeing the manifestations of the social and economic initiatives of IKODASS in the next few months.
Otunba Abiru revealed this in his address at the grand finale of the 27th Ikorodu-Oga Day Celebration which was held at the Ayangbure palace located on Ayangbure Road, Ikorodu, on Saturday, November 17, 2018, and was well attended by eminent dignitaries and residents of the community .
Among the dignitaries at the event which was the climax of the week-long celebration were His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, Member, Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Babajimi Benson, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu, Alliance for Democracy (AD) Governorship candidate, Asiwaju Owolabi Salis and Hon. Adebimpe Akinsola, former acting Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture among others.
The memorable event witnessed the conferrment of the IKODASS 2018 Merit Award on Asiwaju Owolabi Salis while Late Alhaji Sharafadeen Omotayo Sanni Arowolo and Late Alhaji (Chief) Ahmed Oshosanya Dawodu Olowosago were honoured with IKODASS Posthumous award.
Meanwhile, Otunba Abiru, a former Clerk/Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State House of Assembly, in his address, assured that the benefits of 2017 Economic Summit and Cocktail Night with Business Executives would begin to manifest in few months time.
“I want to assure you that within the next three to four months, the benefits and gains of both Economic Summit of last year and the recently held discussion with Business Executives would begin to manifest” , he assured.
He explained that the need to use cultural values to promote social and economic developments necessitated this year’s theme of Oga Day celebration.
“Our theme this year, ‘Cultural Values as Catalyst To Socio-Economic Development’, is a testimony of our desire to use culture to promote our business enterprises.
He added that the Ikorodu Economic Summit held last year was in pursuance of harnessing the community’s socio-economic potentials.
“The Ikorodu Economic Summit that was organized last year was in pursuance of our desire to expose the community to business investors and to as well prove that Ikorodu Division remains the best destination for commerce in Lagos State.
“This year, there was a cocktail night party with Business Executives and Stakeholders in Ikorodu Division which afforded Business Executives, Government officials and stakeholders, the opportunity to network and ruminate on the challenges and prospects of doing business in this division.
“One major highpoint of the occasion of the decision was the need to put in place a Security Endowment Fund which would be run and managed by the business organizations themselves.
Otunba Abiru added that the annual celebration has been the pride of the Ikorodu people both home and abroad.
“This event has continued to be the pride of Ikorodu Community as it’s the only event that brings together particularly all sons and daughters and indeed, citizens of this community without any discrimination of gender, religion, tribe, colour, status or family background.
“The Oga Day celebration has all the trappings of tourism, little wonder, that the State Government, in appreciation of the improvement, style, scope, glamour, pomp and ceremony that characterized the celebration last year, recognized Oga Day as one of its cultural activities on its Tourism Calendar. I want to assure that the Executives of IKODASS would continue to bring innovations that would distinguished the celebration from others.
Abiru also called on sons and daughters of Ikorodu to continue to extend their hands of support to IKODASS and participate fully in the development of Ikorodu while also informing them that most of the business owners are not discharging their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
He appealed to politicians in the division to sheathe their swords and think about the development of the division.
“The primary election has come and gone. It was one event that nearly tore apart the fabrics of unity of the division but for concerted efforts of some leaders in the division, it is hoped that all the aspirants would, in the interest of the division, bury their hatchets and move Ikorodu forward on the path of concord, harmony, peace and prosperity. No one’s political ambition is greater than progress and unity of this division”.
Speaking on the recipients of the Merit and posthumous awards, Otunba Abiru stated that nobody can deny that they are not deserving of the award going by their contributions to the development of Ikorodu .
“As usual on a day like this, a Merit award is given to one son of the soil who has distinguished himself in many ways to identify with the people of Ikorodu. For several years, the merit awardee of today has not only been given people of this community and even the State generally fish, but also teaching them how to fish.
He has singularly trained and skilled several hundreds of people in this community, thereby, making some of them employers of labour.
“He has always identified with the projects and programmes of IKODASS and ready to bring smiles to the faces of the people of Ikorodu. He is a man who gives hope to the hopeless and succor to the despaired.
“It ism therefore, in recognition of this noble and laudable contributions to the socio-economic development of this community that the High Chief Owolabi Salis Fakunmoju, Asiwaju Omo Yoruba in United States of America (USA), is the Merit Awardee of IKODASS this year”, Otunba Abiru announced.
Also honoured posthumously were Alhaji (Chief) L.A.D. Olowosago and Alhaji (Chief) Sanni Arowolo (Sango wellwell).
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode in his speech congratulated the traditional ruler and good people of Ikorodu for the successful celebration
He was represented at the occasion by the Honourable Commissioner for Physical Plamnning and Urban Development, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye
He stated that his administration will always support to the promotion of cultural values, tradition, entertainment and tourism.
The governor also assured the residents of adequate security during the forthcoming One Lagos Fiesta in December
Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, the Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government, in his address, commended IKODASS for the impressive week-long activities.
“I am extremely happy with the impressive activities of the week-long week celebration and my congratulations also go to the Chairman, Ikorodu-Oga Development Association, and all the executives and members in diaspora, for their contributions towards making this day a reality and success. Your efforts and achievements are noticeable and remarkable.
“My good people of Ikorodu, I wish to seize this opportunity to thank you all as today remains another history of uninterrupted annual celebrations. This is the 27th Ikorodu-Oga Day since 1992, and in the same vein, I believe it is equally pertinent to give kudos and appreciation to the founding fathers of the Association who deemed it proper to have a day of cultural rebirth, recognition of achievements and progress of the land.
“Ikorodu-Oga Day remains very lofty and admirable, therefore, should be sustained. It should be noted here that IKODASS social responsibility is not limited to organizing Ikorodu-Oga Day and prpomoting cultural values, the Association also engages itself in raising funds and utilizing such towards implementing important community developmental projects.
“Available records show that successive IKODASS Executive Committees had initiated and completed laudable projects during their respective tenures.
Hon. Adeshina also seized the opportunity of the ceremony to highlight some of his administration’s achievements in the last one year.
