Ogbomoso Development Association gets new exco – gets Open University, library, Police College agenda
Femi OGUNLANA & Jeremiah OYELEKE
Ogbomoso Development Association (ODA) Saturday got a new set of executive committee members headed by Chief Sir Gabriel Olusola Olaleye.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new exco which has a four-year tenure is performed by Professor Tunji Oyelade of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state.
Other exco members are Dr. Sunday Ghadegesin Olawale (vice president), Mrs. Felicia Abake Areo (secretary), Mr. Misbaudeen Yusuf Ishola (assistant general secretary), Pastor J.O. Farayoola ( treasurer), Mr. Oyetunji Oyeniran (financial secretary) and Mr. J.A. Adeleke (PRO).
The outgone exco include Dn. Solomon Oladipo (president), Sir Gabriel Olaleye (vice president), Dr Sunday Olawale (general secretary), Pa Amos Olayinka Oyedokun (treasurer), Mr. J.O. Mobolade (financial secretary) and Pastor J.O. Farayoola (PRO).
The event which was the monthly general meeting of the socio-cultural association also got members briefed on developmental efforts in the city encompassing the takeoff of National Open University (NOUN) and Police Secondary School in Ogbomoso as well as the resuscitation of the moribund Oyo State Library, Sunsun.
In his acceptance speech Sir Olaleye, who is a member of the Committee of Friends Ilorin (an affiliate of ODA), and immediate past vice president of ODA, expressed gratitude over his emergence disclosing he never wished to assume the position because of its enormous responsibilities.
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He said as an individual in such position his desire would be to bequeath legacies that will outlive him while urging members to arise from their slumber and with renewed vigour embrace the task of contributing to the development of Ogbomosoland and its people.
“When I head an organization I would not want to leave without a legacy, without making significant difference, that is something I abhor with passion,” Olaleye further stressed.
“How many scholarships are we able to give out? How many residents lacking good water are we able to provide boreholes for? These and some other positive interventions I will like us to make from time to time. We need to live up to expectations in accordance with the charge of the new Soun Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III to our association when we paid him courtesy visit recently.
“Next year, what is our goal? What is our development plan? I like action and to have record of achievements. Under my watch, ODA will live up to its name. We are not ordinary persons. The new executive committee has resolved to work as a team and move the association forward. In this dispensation we will come up with new ideas and innovations that would be appealing and durable,” while soliciting the cooperation of members especially in commitment to dues payment and other financial obligations, “so that ODA could regain its relevance among other sister associations in Ogbomoso.”
Mrs. Deborah Oyelade, a former chairperson of Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) charged the new exco to further cement the unity of the association while urging members to cooperate with the new executive. This is as she enjoined members to work hard on the 5-year development plan the Soun saddles the association with.
Pa Amos Adekojo Ajekigbe, a revered community leader, encouraged new exco members to see their elevation as an opportunity and to tighten their belt for the task ahead.
Alhaji Yisa Badamas said, “You cannot satisfy everybody, do your best and leave the rest.”
Also, I.O. Ishola charged on cooperation and dedication to dues payment.
The outgone president Dn. Solomon Oladipo spoke on the need to stand firm and to be borne by vision.
The event also had an agenda set for the new exco including the need to fulfill a promise made by the association to support the resuscitation of the moribund Oyp State Library, Sunsun, which id afflicted with broken windows needing repairs, provision of furniture and book shelves, the amount needed was raised at the gathering;; also reported was the need to raise funds for survey plan of the land for the proposed Police Secondary School, approved for Odanbon, Ogbomoso, which is the main cause of delay of the take off of the school according to a report by Mr.Tunde Adegoke, a member and national welfare officer of Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye, he pleaded with the association if it can provide the required amount which is less than N1.5m; also, Adegoke informed the approval for NOUN campus for Ogbomoso is almost achieved, noting however that the community has the responsibility of providing takeoff facilities.
The above three form the immediate task put before the new exco and by extension the entire membership of the association which affirmed during the meeting that the history of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) will not be complete without mentioning the immense contribution of ODA.
Furthermore the association is buoyed by the challenge thrown by the Soun Oba Olaoye during a visit recently who reportedly chastised the association for not living up to its billing as a development group bearing such challenging name.
According to information the monarch bluntly told the group to come up with a five-year development plan if it would be an association to be reckoned with and to have more to show in terms of progressive interventions in the community. Meanwhile, snippets from the meeting indicate the group has accepted the responsibility, ready to take up the gauntlet.
Speaking with ogbomosoinsightonline.com in a chat the new president, Sir Olaleye, reiterated, “Anywhere I am I want to be active, and leave legacies. We have to gather cooperatively and work together. We have plans but I will not disclose it now. God will help us.”
The retired trader who is Bobaniyi of Onpetu Ijeru and Ariwajoye of Igboho assured the new exco would perform well recalling, “I know what I have done in Ilorin though I am not from Ilorin but when you get to Ilorin today the largest spare parts market I was instrumental to it. I approached the governor that I want us to have this spare parts market which I did and today if you get to Pate Oloje that is the market, I started it.”
Dr Olawale, the new vice president said, also during a chat that he is poised to fully support his president to “achieve the overall objective of uplifting Ogbomoso and come up with what we can put on the table in order for Ogbomoso to progress.”
The Oyo-based don assured they would work as a team “since it is going to be a collective agenda, so as to record greater success.”
Oyeniran John Oyetunji the financial secretary, and who is based in Ile-Ife, Osun state, submitted, “I am happy because I am passionate about the development of Ogbomoso, being my town. I will try my best to improve Ogbomoso and take it to higher level.”
Mrs. Felicia Abake Areo, general secretary, also assured, “We will seek the development of Ogbomoso, support the less privileged, and assist generally in areas of needs.”
Misbaudeen Ishola, new assistant general secretary, asserted the vision would be to build on the achievements of their predecessors and introduce other innovations that would take the association to a greater height in no distant time.
Prof Gabriel Fajinmi, current chairman of Ogbomoso Committee of Friends (COF), Ilorin (an affiliate of ODA) and a lecturer at LAUTECH, enthused, “I am happy a member of my association has become the national president. He is my vice chairman.”
Prof Fajinmi expressed confidence Sir Olaleye would do well, pointing out he is a good material.
The university don highlighting some of his achievements as chairman of OCF said, “We have done so much for the less privileged, we make donations every year, food items, we have been to the Ogbomoso Blind Centre and other less-privileged homes. There was a time we did something for NTA they said they needed furniture we had to contribute to donate the furniture to them. So we still have some work in progress now. We also support indigent students in education, we have about two medical doctors now that we have trained, we do things like that.”
Asked to give an opinion on the new Oba of Ogbomoso, he said, “Wow! We are so glad because he is someone with vast knowledge, his experience we believe will help the town.”
The Professor of Physics then charged the new ODA president to carry everybody along especially his co-exco members submitting however, “he believes in accountability, and if he upholds that there will be progress.”
