New $0.625m investment in Ogbomoso, multi-million naira farming initiative and other 'things' - Takeaways from Soun's 2nd townhall meeting

New $0.625m investment in Ogbomoso, multi-million naira farming initiative and other ‘things’ – Takeaways from Soun’s 2nd townhall meeting

Femi OGUNLANA

Wednesday, June 18, was another history-making day in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, as the Soun of Ogbomosoland His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, saw out his second townhall meeting involving the people at the grassroots where he again shared his developmental plans and initiatives including the successes thus far.

The meeting held at the hall of Anglican Grammar School, Sabo, was massively attended by the people including traditional rulers, chiefs, clergies, market women and men, students, youth groups, societies and so on.

Soun who held the first of the series last Thursday at the Lagbami Osekun Civic Centre Aromowole, an “unprecedented initiative,” spoke passionately and emphatically, exuding confidence and hope about his determined push. “The efforts have started bearing fruits and in the next five to ten years the vision will be fully realised, you will start to see complete change. The goal is to make Ogbomoso a model city and we are strategically moving forward to notch it, we will notch it,” the Soun said while reeling out various plans and achievements.

$0.625m investment

More revelations about the newly commissioned Ennovate Lab at LAUTECH area, opposite Ogbomoso ultra-modern market have continued to emerge. Speaking on the project which he commissioned alongside a five-star hotel on Saturday, Oba Ghandi informed the Lab, designed to be an innovation hub, is a ₦1b ($0.625m) investment. “The investor is an American from Chicago USA who had the vision of investing in Africa and some people he knew mentioned Ogbomoso to him. He acceded and that is why we are here. He met some young talents who already had similar vision. He had already invested ₦1b (one billion naira) into the project. I was deeply involved in negotiating the acquisition of the building from the family of the late Baba Soun.”

Continuing the monarch said, “Ogbomoso will become digital capital of Southwest. Look at Ogbomoso, we have LAUTECH, a university of technology, it is an advantage. A lot of our youth would finish there and just leave. With Ennovate Lab, things will change.”

See Cradles Carnival as you see stage play

Against the backdrop of opposition to Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival which he instituted, he explained, “I don’t see it as idol worship as some labelled it. Will that make me abandon my Christian faith? I don’t participate in their sacrifices. Just see it like you are watching African Magic shows. The purpose of the Carnival is to bring Ogbomoso people together to chart a course for development. It is promotion of our culture. It’s an inspiration of God. The Egunguns should entertain us more this year, we will give them two days during the carnival. They were rushed last year, it won’t be so this year.”

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Give us your abandoned ancient family compounds for developmental purposes

The Soun also urged his subjects to donate their abandoned family compounds for developmental purposes stressing lands are needed for the avalanche of developments knocking at the city. “Give us your ancient family compounds that no one is living in again. We need lands for development. It will ensure the name of your family house does not go into extinction because we will write the name of your family house on whatever is built there. We will immortalize the name. It is better than selling it to non-indigenes who will erase your family name or allowing criminals to hibernate in it. Where we are headed in Ogbomoso will amaze you. No Oba ever initiated townhall meetings. People may wonder what is this man after? You will know in five years time.” He made this plea in the face of demand for land to develop various projects like healthcare centres, markets and so on.

Sabo will be given a facelift

“We were at the Sabo garage yesterday, l was personally there with the council chairman (Hon George Ogunlade). We found the place is a den of criminals. We have told them to evacuate. That place must become a safe place. We will rebuild the park.”

First of our new police stations to start in July

He informed during the interface at Lagbami Osekun Civic Centre last week that the Oyo State Commissioner for Police had approved five new Divisional Police headquarters for Ogbomoso metropolis to improve security. The Kabiyesi informed the community would however build the structures though lamenting lack of lands.

But during the townhall meeting at Anglican Grammar School Wednesday, he revealed the construction of the first one would begin next month disclosing the Baale Pakiotan of Ogbomoso has donated four plots of lands for the project at Pakiotan area beyond the new Ogbomoso – Ilorin highway. He commended the Pakiotan monarch, Oba James Oyetunji Ojo for the gesture.

Sheikh Habeeb Ahmad Ayilara Imam Soun Palace

Consortium of foreign investors headed to Ogbomoso to invest in farming

Another good news mentioned by the progressive monarch is that he is engaging some foreign firms on farming Investment in Ogbomoso. ”From Ukraine, America etc, they are coming . Apart from human capital, Ogbomosoland is blessed with good farming land, it is a special place. We have the best cashew and mango in the world. Cashew is our oil. We must come up with strategies to explore it for our benefits. The foreigners l mentioned want to invest in farming for massive food production to feed Africa. We have had meetings with them. I have been meeting with our produce buyers too so they sell their cashew nuts directly to the end users so they can earn foreign exchange and not through middlemen, the Indians and co. I assure you a flurry of investments is on the way because people now believe Ogbomoso has a progressive Oba.”

Ogbomoso will become a healthcare hub

“God blesses us with two teaching hospitals, only Lagos can rival us on that, no other town. So, we need to take advantage of this, Ogbomoso will become a healthcare hub, we have been meeting with the authorities of the hospitals on how we can help them with equipment. Ogbomoso will become a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery. We will build primary healthcare centres in all vicinities. That is why we thank the late Governor Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala family for their initiative in building a primary health centre at Yaku area after interface with our 25 year-development plan health committee. That is why we are appealing to you to give us your abandoned ancient family compounds. That is why we thank Oniyaku and the Yaku royal family for donating land for us for the project.”

Prospective chiefs will now be mandated on engaging in community development

“If you want to get appointed as a chief by the Soun, prepare to engage in community development projects. I won’t take money from you. Rather you will spend the money on executing developmental projects for the town. I know of about thirty chieftaincies now. Even if there is no more chieftaincies, that is ‘Kosoye mo,’ ‘Kosoye mo’ is also a chieftaincy title, ‘Oye tan’ is also a chieftaincy title. We will explore that road to get our people to develop the town. People will give peanuts for chieftaincies and then give musicians ₦20m (to entertain guests). But with this new template, by the time you spend ₦40m to put a project on ground you won’t have money to engage in elaborate celebration again. But if you still want it, so be it. You see the market being rebuilt at Oja’gbo, it is one of such projects, it is being executed by someone who will be conferred with chieftaincy title. That is the idea.”

Rev:d Peter Olaleye Special Assistant on Media and Community Relations to Oba Ghandi

We will promote street naming

“We will encourage naming of streets. We want to discontinue a situation where people give addresses using shops or artisans workshops to describe locations. Proper addresses is a precondition for a model city. If they ask me to pay ₦1m to name a street after my father l will gladly do it. It won’t be too much an amount to immortalise my father. That street will bear his name forever. I have discussed with the council chairman on this. It is IGR for them. Nothing should be too much to pay to immortalise my father or mother,” the paramount ruler also argued.

Let’s appreciate Gov Seyi Makinde, he refunded the money we spent on renovating the palace

Oba Ghandi informed the gathering likewise that the Oyo state governor Engr Seyi Makinde deserves our praise. “His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde didn’t help us when we were refurbishing the palace but after we completed the project he refunded the whole money because he knew this is a palace befitting Soun.”

Fifty computer sets on their way to Government Technical College Ogbomoso

“We have facilitated fifty computers to Ogbomoso and we are taking them to the Technical College Ogbomoso. We will develop the centre into an ICT centre. ICT is the way of the future. We will train our people there, whoever wants the training and knowledge should register.”

We will reorganise trade associations

The Soun expressed dismay at the excesses of trade associations lamenting most of them are agents of backwardness. He submitted, “Trade associations should be partners in progress. In my consultations with Ogbomoso sons and daughters in the north, one complaint they have been putting before me is that trade/market associations always prove as stumbling block to their aspiration to return home. We have been meeting with them. By the time l am two years on the throne we will reorganise them. The market should be free.” This is as he emphasized on the need to eschew excessive profits. “Our people sell at exorbitant prices above what is sold in neighbouring towns. This is not good for our plans. We want Ogbomoso to be a transhipment terminal where traders from the north will offload their wares in and buyers from the south will also bring their goods for exchange. So that a trader in Ibadan will not have to take his good to the north and a trader from Sokoto will not have to go all the way to the southern cities. So, our traders have to be reasonable with their pricing in order not to jeopardise this aspiration. If you sell at high prices, people will go beyond Ogbomoso to buy things and that means money meant for you is taken outside.”

He gave an incident with the tipper owners as an example. “We invited them when people complained of exorbitant prices of sands, they came we appealed to them to reduce the prices they said they would come b

Rev’d Niyi Adebayo of the True Worshipers Church

ack, they never did since about three months ago. When JRB began the construction of the Ogbomoso – Oyo highway and the company now purchased sands elsewhere the same tipper owners ran to the palace to lodge complaint. I sent them away, when you have problem you are now coming to me.”

We will rebuild Soun Stadium

Answering a question on the unexciting state of the Soun Stadium, against the backdrop of the imminent promotion of Crown FC to the Nigeria’s Premier League, the monarch said, “We are working on it, we have plans to upgrade it, we are talking to people.”

We have gotten location for NACUS

The Oba raised alarmed during the Ogbomoso South edition of the townhall meeting that site was yet to be secured for the National Academy for Cultural Studies, NACUS, approved for Oyo state in Ogbomoso and three other cities. A participant asked if land had been secured in order not to derail the effort, to which Soun firmly responded, “We had secured a location, it won’t slip.” This confirmed an earlier report by ogbomosoinsightonline.com that a location had been secured for the institution.

God has delivered Ogbomoso from menace of witches

In another breath the traditional ruler asserted that “There is no more witches killing anyone. l was repeatedly inundated by our people in the north during my engagements with them that they are afraid of being victims of witchcraft at home but l assured them there’s nothing like that. Death happens to everyone. Nonetheless light has come to Ogbomoso darkness has disappeared.”

Why l have not been attending Ogbomoso Parapo AGM

Also in response to a question, the Soun disclosed, “It is because of the arrant nonsense exuded by the key actors of the association. Can they do that to Kabiyesi ana (his immediate predecessor late Oba Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III)? But you know Baba had become an Ebora (extra terrestrial being) because of the many years he spent on the throne. But my seeming gentility is not cowardice. The Soun race, we are warriors. Look at the exuberance of the Imam (insinuating Ogbomoso Parapo has been hijacked by the pro-Imam elements), it is despicable. The Imam and his backers are after one thing – religious war in Ogbomoso. That is why l am being patient. I am not afraid of war, ogun ni iran Soun nja (the Soun race are war mongers). But God told me to be watching. Ask him how did l offend him? Why did he take me to court? Ask him! Anyhow, l won’t go to pray in the mosque behind him. This is my own Imam (pointing at the Palace Imam, Sheikh Habeeb Ahmad Ayilara who is sitting not faraway from him on the podium). As the grand patron of the association l am entitled to vetting the programme of the AGM before the day but they never brought the programme for me to see. A lot are happening, you will hear from me.”

Parents should rise to the challenge of educating their children

He reiterated the importance of education and why parents must rise to the challenge. ”Education is the most important thing. If parents don’t put in great efforts the children will not take the path of education. Rise to the challenge, you will get reward for it later.”

Whoever is wise should quickly go and acquire shop at Wazo market

The Ultramodern Market built opposite LAUTECH by the Oyo state government is largely unoccupied and is lying waste 18 years after it was commissioned. Answering a question on the need to revamp the market the monarch said, “If you are a trader l advise you to quickly go and obtain a shop at the market. This is because the Ogbomoso High School – LAUTECH 4 – lane road will be constructed and all shops and containers along the road will be cleared off. That is why l plead with you to get a shop there now. Moreover, our plan to make Ogbomoso a transhipment hub will rest on a thriving market and that market is one of our focus. When the Oyo state government directed shops and containers be removed from school premises and they came to me l didn’t listen to them, go to the Wazo market, we want that market to pick up.”

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Soun is the head in Ogbomosoland

Further responding to a question – unity among Obas in Ogbomosoland, he stressed the Soun remains the Numero Uno traditional ruler in Ogbomosoland. He re-affirmed, ‘Whatever has two heads is anjannu (gnome) and whatever has no head is also anjannu. Ogbomosoland has a head and that is the Soun. That is the truth.”

He spoke extensively on this topic saying disunity persists in the traditional circle in Ogbomoso zone because ”Some Obas don’t see themselves as Ogbomoso people. Yet they came to Ogbomoso for refuge. I have sat at a place with an Oba from this area who said he is not Ogbomoso, will such a person support the clamour for a greater Ogbomoso? I have tried a lot to forge unity but it is being frustrated. I invited twenty four Obas from Ogbomoso zone to a meeting at my palace. Twenty one came. Onpetu, Olugbon and Aresaapa did not attend though Aresaapa later said there was a mix up and l have met with him after that. l learned such a meeting had never happened. Many who attended confessed they never entered the Soun Palace.

“Can you imagine those that did not attend wrote the secretariat that the meeting l called was ‘illegal.’ You can imagine. So, what can we do about the unity you canvass if some people insisted they don’t want to associate with you, what will you do? You have to move on. We will not bog ourselves down with that, we move.

‘I can now imagine the difficulty Kabiyesi ana (his immediate predecessor) faced in the strides to develop Ogbomoso. But we will press on. Do you know some people also influenced the Sports Ministry to deny us the use of the stadium during the maiden Cradles Carnival, and so we contacted the governor who ordered we should use the stadium. Similar thing happened when we wanted to hold our digital economy summit at LAUTECH, we just received a letter that we couldn’t use it, we had to call for the governor’s intervention again before we could be allowed to use the hall. But l know it is envy. The Soun throne had grown in glory and honour beyond anyone’s imagination. Only three of us in the state are Imperial Majesties. Why are we recognised as such? Ogbomoso has grown in leaps and bounds. It’s not our doing but God’s. But they should let us unite to move Ogbomoso zone forward.”

Earlier, Oba Orumogege declared, with conviction and pride. “God told me ‘go and serve your people.’ That is why l am committed to doing what l am doing, it is not to dominate or exercise power arbitrarily. What else do l wish to become? I thank God everyday for making me the Soun. I do ask God why and how do l merit this exalted Soun position? The Soun throne is very big. This is a town that was never moved from its original site by war or anything. We are still inhabiting the location of the Ajagbon tree Soun Ogunlola started from unlike many other towns now claiming superiority. We protected the Yorubaland from being subdued by external aggressors. We are talking of Soun! (He shook his head in admiration). The Soun of Ogbomosoland! Five local governments! Those opposed to us are doing it in vain. Won o lule (They will fall flat). They will fail! I have already assumed this position. Shia la fi ma pawon (We will frustrate them with steeze, success).”

He reeled out the above amid cheers and wide applause with the people departing with satisfaction, buoyed by a renewed hope of the birth of a GREATER OGBOMOSOLAND.