The creme de la crème of the society recently converged on Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State to ponder over reasons for the underdevelopment of Kwara South zone.
Dignitaries at the event agreed that the zone is enormously blessed with both human and natural resources, but added that this has not translated to its development.
Tagged celebration of heroes, the event provided an opportunity for participants to reappraise their roles, at individual and community levels, for the overall development of the zone.
Kwara South is made up of seven of the 16 local government areas of Kwara State: Offa, Oyun, Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, Ekiti and Oke-Ero.
The dignitaries at the event include the President, Living Faith Church worldwide (Winners Chapel), Dr, David Oyedepo from Omu-Aran who hosted the event and remains an outstanding pride to his community and the people of Kwara South, Prof. Jamiu Oyawoye from Offa, the first African professor of geology, Chief Peter Olatunde from Odeoeku, Chief Daniel Adeseko from Oke-Opin, the man who taught in various primary and secondary schools between 1955 and 1990 and led the committee for the creation of Igbomina/Ekiti in 1974-76 and Chief Joseph Aderibigbe from Erinle, a seasoned administrator and first SSG in the state.
The Chairman of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) that put the event together, Prof. Samuel Ibiyemi, asked how much have these sterling accomplishments impacted on communities in the region?
He added that “in the recent past there were one or two good examples of impact but of recent, there is little or nothing to show again.”
According to Ibiyemi, the objective of the program, stemming from the core focus of the NGO, was primarily to resonate that there were once committed and focused leaders in Kwara South who birthed, nurtured and sustained the area. But with continued decadence and decline in values, Ibiyemi said his group believed it was time to advocate a full revival of the good past to spur the present to prepare for a much better future.
His words: “It is on this note that we are gathered to appreciate and honour some selected heroic leaders, some of whom have gone to sleep, and some of who are still alive . But whether permanently asleep or still alive, we can always find their footprints, good enough to follow and we believe it is worth the while that they are ever remembered for their sacrificial deeds.
“We are as a result gathered here today to celebrate the 14 selected heroes from the Local Government Areas in the Kwara South. Some awardees will be honoured post-humour while some of them will be represented for age related reasons. True leadership to a people is really a way never to die; it is the salient path of Heroes.
“We believe strongly that this will inform the existing political and religious leaders, monarchs, and the potential leaders towards realising the urgent need for revolutionising the right mindset of true leadership in our present-day society, and run with it. There is no other time than now, to bail our people out of perennial cultural inferiority.”
Guest Speaker at the event, Prof. Durojaiye Adegboye established the fact that the zone is much endowed perhaps than its peers in the state and until the recent past was playing a leading role among the three zones in Kwara.
For Adegboye the dependence by indigenes of Kwara South on government has been the greatest undoing of the zone, a zone which he noted has been the proud producers of personalities with many firsts both in the history of the old Kwara State and indeed the old Northern Nigeria.
“Kwara South has waited on government for too long but we can do something for ourselves,” he told the audience which comprised the old and the young as well as a spread of politicians from different parties who are indigenes of the zone.
He disagreed with those who lament that government has not sufficiently done much in helping the zone, not because he was out to defend the system but because he was himself angry with his own kinsmen for thinking that way.
For a community of several sterling firsts, Adegboye said it was like underrating one’s capabilities.
“There are many things we can do for ourselves, so don’t blame government, blame yourself for not doing anything,” he said to applause and nodding of heads among the audience.
He then went ahead to highlight some of the unique peculiarities of Kwara South: “By land mass Kwara South is larger than Osun, Bayelsa, Asia, Ekiti, Imo and even Rivers state.
“However, like one of the popular Camry Cars, it is big for nothing.
Why? After Western Yoruba were sent packing due to the nothernisation policy, citizens of Kwara South dominated the civil services of Kwara state. But despite the big names of that era, what happened to Kwara South? We developed the north and we have been developing other peoples land without doing anything for our own land.
He lamented that those who truly have money from the zone have concentrated building edifices in the state capital to the neglect of their own community.
“Kwara South is blessed. Chief Adeniyi, the first northerner with a degree in Mathematics was from here. So was the first female university graduate from the north, the first Statistician, first graduate Pharmacist, first Dental Surgeon, first Quantity Surveyor, first doctoral degree in Law, first doctoral degree in Political Science, first African professor of geology, etc.”
As a matter of fact, the guest lecturer pointed out that Offa, just one community in the zone, has produced 100 professors, eight of whom have been vice chancellors of Nigerian universities, so far!
Adegboye left the audience with one major lesson if they truly desire to lift Kwara South: forget politics or religion, join hands to develop your community.
Said “Whatever your party or religion, you are a Yoruba person.
Therefore no matter what, don’t sell Yorubaland; remember that Oduduwa is the progenitor of the Yoruba race and I have been following politics since 1952, I have seen many political parties changing names and politicians changing parties, but no one has changed the name of Oduduwa.
“What are the demands our political leaders are making on our behalf in Kwara South in the political parties they associate with? Our leaders in Kwara South should tell us what are their plans for the zone in the next decade and beyond because it appears we are not preparing for our descendants.
“We should ask ourselves what joint ventures can we in the zone embark upon to alleviate the suffering of our people instead of waiting on government? Offa people built the first secondary school by themselves and today we are counting 100 professors from Offa. In our own house alone we have eight.
“From this event let’s make concrete decisions. The past is past so let us forget what has not be done and by who. What this NGO has done is to give us the opportunity to start again. Our God is a forgiving God; if you failed in the past, he can give you another chance.
“You can change your religion; you can change your political party but not your place of birth. If you cannot do anything for your place of birth, then you have not done anything.”
Those honoured at the event included Alhaji AbdulKareem Oteniara from Esie, who made great wealth which he used to promote community development and religious propagation, Chief Joshua Olawoyin from
Offa, the fiery politician, longest serving Councillor in the state and a prominent actor in the agitation for Nigeria’s independence in 1960 and Dr. Samuel Oloruntoba from Alla, a medical practitioner with excellent record of physical and spiritual development of the lives of members of the local, state and national levels of his Baptist denomination. Others include Archhitect Kayode Abogunrin from Alabe, Chief Gabriel Anjorin from Isale Opin, Chief Gabriel Adekunle from Idofin Igbana, Chief Samson Oyawoye from Ijagbo and Chief Malomo Babajamu from Oro Ago.
The Olosi of osi, Oba Saliu AbdulKareem Adasofegbe commended the NGO and tasked wealthy individuals join hands in lifting the fortunes of the zone.