Twindad fulfils promise of bus donation to Ogbomoso Parapo, as Soun, high chiefs, political office holders shun AGM

Image caption: President of the association Justice Afolabi Adeniran (rtd) cheerfully displays the bus key

Twindad fulfils promise of bus donation to Ogbomoso Parapo, as Soun, high chiefs, political office holders shun AGM

Khalid ABRAHAM

Dr Kunle Adegbite a.k.a. Twindad has fulfilled the promise of a Hummer bus donation he made during the 2023 annual general meeting (AGM) of Ogbomoso Parapo Worldwide.

The U.S.-based medical practitioner presented the 18-seater bus branded in the name of the socio-cultural organization amid cheers Thursday, during the association’s AGM at Ogunlola Hall, held in a makeshift tent following the damages caused by windstorm to the hall earlier in the year.

In his speech, Adegbite said, “We made the promise last year and we are fulfilling it today,” while calling on the people to rise to the task of developing the community by ensuring credible people are elected into offices.

“The development of Ogbomoso is in our hands. It is saddening, our roads are in terrible condition, I drove from Ogbomoso High School to LAUTECH and it took me about two hours. It is our fault because we do support people who are not credible into offices. This is partly because of tins of rice; we compromise the future of our community.

“We should begin to make conscious efforts to elect people who will be more committed to the development of the community and we must strive to bring them into account after they get into offices. We should take more than passing interest in politics by being more involved.”

The gesture of the founder and CEO of Twindad Orphanage, who chaired the meeting last year, was significant as the umbrella organization never in its known history had a bus.

Meanwhile, the AGM was shunned by the Soun of Ogbomoso Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III for the second time running. He was also absent last year. However, in the 2023 edition, the monarch was represented by some high chiefs and traditional rulers, one of whom (High Chief David Ojo, the Ikolaba of Ogbomoso) addressed the mammoth crowd on his behalf. But none of the high chiefs or any representative from the palace attended this year. This becomes worrisome when no message was sent as reason for the absence particularly when the paramount ruler is the grand patron and spiritual guardian of the apex socio-cultural organization.

Also, no political office holder showed up this year except the chairman of Ogbomoso North local government, Hon George Ogunlade. Other notable individuals or their representatives that annually add colour to the occasion failed to attend the important gathering.

Also, the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon Oba Francis Olusola Alao, who attended since his installation a few years ago was conspicuously absent this year. Olugbon had proposed in the past that the AGM should be held in various local governments making up the zone and not be restricted to only Ogbomoso North local government to give it a geographical spread. But it is not known whether his absence this year is connected with this.

The chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Monsur Lamidi Ayoade was represented by Alhaji Rasak Sekengbede, who congratulated the Ogbomoso people on the AGM and promised to continue to contribute to the town’s progress.

The meeting lacked the usual boisterousness and enthusiasm, with few donations also received. The Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheikh Toliat Ayilara showed up on the other hand as one of those who led the opening prayer and he later received loud ovation (from his supporters) though had left at the time, when Ewi exponent Asiwaju Ojo Elijah Oluwatanna declared him as his Imam during his rendition.

Oluwatanna had sung inter-alia, “Oba Ghandi is my Oba … but the Chief Imam Toliat Ayilara is my Imam,” to reaffirm his support for the Chief Imam, while chastising the Soun’s high chiefs, describing them in unprintable names. The popular Ewi exponent also expressed his disenchantment for being disallowed to perform at the just concluded Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival.

Another highlight of the meeting was the outburst by Dr Saka Balogun expressing disapproval with the way the account of the association was prepared and presented, noting, “Don’t we have qualified hands in Ogbomoso to do a better job? To say the auditor has not vetted the account is unacceptable.”

The leader of the Peoples Democratic (PDP)’s Elders Forum in Oyo state also clarified that he did not support the disrespect against the Soun from certain quarters, noting, “My forebears were Soun’s chiefs who stood with the Obas in their respective times and I can’t be engaged in maligning the Oba at my time,” in reference to Imam Ayilara’s outrageous outbursts against the Oba Ghandi in the past with Dr Balogun being suspected as a staunch supporter of the Imam.

Professor Adeniyi Adetunji gave a report on the journey so far in the drive to have a private university to be named “Ogbomoso University,” established, calling on the people to rally round the dream.

In another vein, chairman of the home branch Prince Aderemi Olude highlighted some achievements of the association, which ranged from settling disputes in various flashpoints across Ogbomoso zone, acquiring acres of lands in different areas for large scale farming for members of its farmers’ association, facilitating the emergence of a vice chancellor of Ogbomoso extraction at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), meeting with leaders of Fulani communities on the Farmers/Fulani herders’ clashes often leading to killing of indigenous people, and its efforts at combating hooliganism among secondary schools’ students.

Some others are the completion of the passport office, Ogbomoso, commending Alhaji Monsur Ayoade a.k.a. Ejide who according to him spent “N45m of his personal money” towards the completion of the project. He also said Ogbomoso Parapo contributed N7m to the project aside from other individuals. Furthermore, he informed the association in conjunction with Ogbomoso North local government under the leadership of Hon George Ogunlade completed the office of the Amotekun security outfit just as he stated they intervened to prevent illegal sales of lands of the Nigerian Training Centre for the Blind.