Akin John Brown partners S/Korean investors for industries in Ogbomoso, as he completes tenure as ORC president

Akin John Brown partners S/Korean investors for industries in Ogbomoso, as he completes tenure as ORC president

Femi OGUNLANA

The future of Ogbomoso definitely looks bright judging by the renewed interests being ignited in the heart of the indigenes in recent times and because of the unrelenting push to transforming her into a model city, by its traditional ruler, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, HIM Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III.

Dr. Akin Ladeji John Brown likewise has declared his commitment to joining the push to achieve a greater Ogbomoso submitting in a media chat recently that he is collaborating with some South Korean investors for industrial plants in the city, the plan he disclosed is at the implementation stage.

Dr Ladeji, a scion of the Chief John Agboola Ladeji of the John Brown fame, made this disclosure as he completed his two-term tenure as president of the prestigious and influential Ogbomoso Recreation Club (ORC).

He stressed that as an individual passionate about Ogbomoso, and as someone with vast experience in international business, he is ready to commit his resources to investments in Ogbomoso towards enhancing wealth creation and bolstering the community’s economic outlook. These sectors he informed would include investments in agriculture, which Ogbomoso has comparative advantage in.

Asked about his plan for the future as far as Ogbomoso community is concerned, the Ijeru prince said, “Let me respond to your question by first thanking Ogbomoso Recreation Club (ORC) community for choosing me to serve as a two (2) term president of the prestigious ORC. It has been a very worthy opportunity to relate to my people at the grassroots in unique and gainful ways.

“However, to answer your question directly, I say life is dynamic. And like the cliché that we all echo, ‘Soldiers come…soldiers go,’ the community must live on. ORC would live on. After two consecutive terms, I handed over to a team that I consider very competent, community-focused and -driven and which would not relent in the effort to make Ogbomoso one of the most dynamic societies in Oyo state and Nigeria – if not the World.

“By God’s divine direction and grace and within my professional spaces of competence I do intend to come home to re-invest my little resources in Ogbomoso community in order to develop our motherland through wealth creation that offers our teeming youth sustainable employment opportunities. As you may be aware, I move around globally due to the nature of my business and due to my skills in the financial market space.

“I also intend to entrench even deeper some silent investments that I am nurturing in some of our agricultural communities that have had impact in several ways which I have used as pilot for my community intervention visions. A positive and endearing fallout of this pilot is that I have become an adopted son of one of the major agricultural communities because of my investment in agro-allied enterprise.

“In addition, and on a definitely larger scale, I have finalized industrial plans for the community, in collaboration with my South Korean partners which will soon come to fruition. My Korean partners are just waiting for my go ahead for them to move to Nigeria for the takeoff of our collaborative project.”

He stated that he also had plans to dabble into medical entrepreneurship. “I also do have plans under way to fill a gap in medical entrepreneurship for which I have started preliminary talk, which have been very positive, with our indigenous scientists.”

Though not a politician, Dr Ladeji, is inspired by the contributions of some political topnotches to the transformation of Ogbomoso, asserting he would always align with progressive politics in which the greater number of people benefit.

“On politics, I will always align with progressive political moves or forces that benefit the greater number of people in our community, Oyo state and Nigeria. I am a detribalized ‘political animal.’ I do think that our current political environment or culture is in urgent need of more effective and less turbulent succession planning. I do honestly acknowledge the fact that we do have some progressive political leaders who have made positive impact on our community. Those of them that have not been impactful one would expect would turn a new leaf to become more relevant to the aspirations of our community. The need for this change is very urgent and imperative in view of the challenges faced by our communities due to the current economic hardships or challenges.”

American Open University

He recalled some past political and community leaders of Ogbomoso origin maintaining they made good names for themselves. “The sage, Premier Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Senator Ayo Adeseun, Pa Saka Balogun and others made visible impact in the political space, while the likes of Gen. Oladayo Poopola, Col Daniel Akintonde, Commodore Lawuyi, and others made impact in governance spaces. The challenge is to carry on the momentum that these elders have garnered for our community,” Ladeji noted.