Soun meets biz people on Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival, reaffirms commitment to a transformed community (PHOTOS)
Femi OGUNLANA
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Soun of Ogbomosoland Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege 111 has reiterated his commitment to turning Ogbomoso into a model city.
Oba Olaoye made this submission during a private dinner he held with the business class in Ogbomoso on Sunday, to garner support and raise fund for the maiden Ogbomoso festival christened, “Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival,” slated for December.
The convergence, a rare one, cut across business owners in the community, and consisted of diverse people of all origins including Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani and so on.
Mr. Jide Alade (building materials dealer), Mr. Adegbile Adeomi (A4 Concepts CEO), Mr. Tunde Akinola (T – Fat Igbala-Olu Communications), several produce merchants, were among those who attended.
The festival is an idea birthed by Oba Olaoye to galvanize his people towards the development of the ancient city.
Similar fund raising dinners had been held, in Abuja and Lagos, with several others likely to be held, in Suleja, Jos and other places.
According to the monarch, the carnival would gulp tens of millions of naira but expressed confidence that it would yield immense benefits to the community and its people.
The Oba urged the people to support the vision both financially and morally assuring the aim is to make it the biggest carnival in Nigeria.
He hailed the bravery and entrepreneurial spirit of Ogbomoso people saying this is in their DNA, and noting it constitutes great potentials which should be harnessed for development .
The paramount ruler who spoke passionately said, “I have come to Ogbomoso to work, not to grow my income. In the water project (we embarked upon), nobody gave more than l did and on this, only one person has given more than me.”
He added, “We want this festival to be bigger than Ojude Oba Festival in the next five years. You can’t compare this with Ojude Oba Festival, you can’t compare Ogbomoso with Ijebu. Every day l thank God for making me the Soun of Ogbomoso. I never knew you love me so much, because Ogbomoso sons and daughters are the best you can find anywhere.”
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Oba Ghandi expressing his belief in the power of possibility remarked, “l don’t believe in impossibility. Somebody said the water project would not be successful and l said he should never say that. Water is now being pumped into the reservoir, something that has not happened in many years.
“We should not limit ourselves, whatever we want to achieve can be achieved. Nothing is impossible. It is for us to show our love for our town. Let us love our town. When l attended the convention of Ogbomoso Sons and Daughters in North America over 500 people attended, in London, 250 persons converged when l met with them also. This week alone l know the number of people that had called me asking what they can do. They heard about the road, they want to contribute.”
He stated further, “So, one of the things God laid upon my heart is what will bring us together. Then, l thought one of the things that will bring us together is if we have a programme and that is how we arrived at the carnival we are doing. The purpose of the carnival is to create an environment that will make people come home and celebrate. Many have said many negative things but l say light has come, light is never afraid of darkness, it’s the darkness that is afraid of light, light has come to Ogbomoso. So, it’s for us to work in the light.”
The Oba explained December is chosen for the carnival because it’s a period most people have holidays noting it has nothing to do with being the Christmas period, “So, there must be activities that bring them home.”
He informed the annual Egungun festival which will now be held more elaborately in December will be repackaged with emphasis on the entertainment aspect, just as he mentioned the Oole Festival of the Soun royal houses will also now be held in December, disclosing the carnival would encompass all five local governments in Ogbomoso zone and all Obas.
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He enthused the Obas are very excited informing they would meet later in the month.
“We want our town to develop so there is a commercial aspect of the carnival, those selling aso oke, those selling robo, those selling akara egbe and so on will experience a spike in trade. So, it’s going to be a major activity. It will develop our commerce. We are not backbenchers in Ogbomoso, l want to promise you one thing, this is going to be the biggest carnival in Nigeria. Let us believe.
“I want to inspire the sons and daughters of Ogbomoso for us to turn our town around and make it a model city. That is my agenda. We want to use this cradles festival for the five local governments to come together; the Obas, they are so excited about it. I will meet the Obas on the 31st, where l will share the things with them.”
The former cleric pointed out he had discovered that Ogbomoso people like to “se ohun (i.e. developing others’ lands), it’s time to se ihin (develop our land). You are the people that are going to help our land. We launched it in Lagos we launched it in Abuja, this is for us (those based in Ogbomoso), those of us that are not se ohun (domiciled elsewhere) but here. This is our own opportunity for us to do what we can do. The Suleja people, Jos people have also invited us. This is going to unite us, it’s going to bring us together, it will put our name back to where it is,” as he added “Ogbomoso people are domiciled and doing great everywhere.”
He asserted Ogbomoso can be great without being a capital city. “I said we don’t need to be a capital before we are developed. I reiterate God is partial with us in Ogbomoso. The kind of people God put here are amazing. So, it’s time for us to rise up and develop our town.”
Dwelling on why so much money is needed for the festival he harped, “the Egungun parade will be prominent during the carnival. Some people are saying what do we need money for? We want to give our Egungun new eku (attire). We want neat sparkling lappels, we want it to be a carnival in words and in deeds, we want to bring out the excitement. We want them to be decked in new attires, we want it to be lively, to be nice, l want to promise you the rested Egunguns will be resuscitated. People will eat, drink and be merry, we have to provide all these. We want to do what will make people come back. We need you to support us.”
The Soun stated that the 18 months between his nomination by the kingmakers and approval by the governor, he was not idle “crossing legs” but thinking on what he would do with Ogbomoso, saying at over 60 years now, his ambition is working for the development of his domain. “This is my legacy years,” he stated. “This is not time for me to start looking for money, the money l need till l die God has provided it.”
He stressed further, “the people must love their town, they must love their king. That is how development can come. Ogbomoso people are rich, they are domiciled everywhere. We are doing well all over the world. One thing about Ogbomoso is that we are warriors, it is in our DNA. The second thing is we are traders, it is in our DNA too. We are everywhere, so, our town should not be like this. So, the people must love their town and then love their king. It is when they love their king that they will follow him. The potential in Ogbomoso is amazing.”
The monarch also said, “l think l am the luckiest and most blessed man because l am the Soun of Ogbomosoland. Ogbomoso people are doing so well. We have great potentials, many people do call me, the potential is embarrassing to me at times. If the people love their town they will invest in the town. When opportunities come they will throw it in their town. The potential in this town is great and we can use it to develop this town. That gave me confidence to develop the 25 year – development plan, and l have committed myself to it. That is what l have committed the rest of my life to, to make sure this town becomes a model town. Do not be afraid of all the noise.”
Dr Dejo Akanni, co-chair of the Ogbomoso tourism and culture committee organizing the carnival and Chief Dokun Segun Odebunmi, another prominent member of the committee, also pushed the narrative for the festival in separate speeches calling on the people of the community to rally for the success of the event.
Photos by Abdulrasak BELLO
