ADDRESS BY OLUWO OF IWOLAND, HRM OBA DR. ABDUROSHEED ADEWALE AKANBI, TELU 1ST. ON THE OCCASION OF SITE INSPECTION TOUR BY OFFICIALS OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND NATIONAL COMMISSIONER FOR COLLEGES OF EDUCATION (NCCE) IN RESPECT OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION IN IWO, OSUN, STATE, JULY 4, 2020.
1. Your Excellency, Governor Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola ably represented by the Hon. Commissioner for Education, Mr. Folorunsho Bamisaye, the Executive Secretary of NCCE, Professor Bappa Aliyu Muhammadu, Commissioner for Lands, Special Advisers on Education and Lands, Directors, the President of Iwo Board of Trustees (IBOT), Dr. Oluremi Atanda MFR, Asiwaju of Iwoland, Barrister Gbadegesin Adedeji, Iyalaje of Iwoland, Prof. (Chief). Pade Aderibigbe, Chief Mrs. Funlayo Jabaru, my Lord Spiritual, the Iyaloja, Babaloja, traders and artisans, all the Royal Fathers and Chiefs here present, members of IBOT, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
2. I remain grateful to Allah who facilitated today’s event. It is not by our power. Allah is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. He installed Kings for orderliness on the surface of the earth. Alhamdulilah. I cannot count His numerous blessings on Iwoland and myself since ascending the throne of my forefathers. My thoughts are consistent on Iwoland’s development. Today’s event is an outcome of our commitment to lifting up our community.
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3. I have no doubt in my mind that President Muhammadu Buhari loves lwoland and its paramount ruler. We also admire the President’s commitment to equity and fairness. There was no other traditional ruler that had publicly supported President Muhammadu Buhari in prayers during his sickness other than the Oluwo of Iwoland. I will continue to support the President as a political leader that Allah had given us.
4. Let me say that as supportive of our aspirations in Iwoland as the President and Governor Oyetola are, governments alone can never do it all. In development theories, the popular language in vogue is a public-private partnership – PPP. Sustainable development requires the cooperation and synergy of private and public sector operators. Permit me to use this opportunity to commend individuals and companies that are passionate about development issues in Iwoland. There are numerous small-scale enterprises that add value to our land and its visibility.
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Young men and women should adopt such young enterprising professionals as their role models. Politics without skill and capacity can only end up in provoking bickering, character assassination, political factions and electoral violence. Indeed, politics should be on a part-time basis and the exclusive preserve of those who have been successful in their professional callings.
Our land can only develop through hard work and strong ethics. The Palace is ever ready to partner with such individuals and organisations that are ready to invest in Iwoland. We have RABSIH IMEC NIG. LTD. (MOGAJI’S COMPANY) which produces industrial tools and arm implements, BISMONCO NIG. LTD. a major processor of agricultural products and numerous other investors in Iwoland.
5. At this stage, I need to commend IBOT for this excellent outing. Let me assure the Executive Secretary that the Tadese Royal Dynasty through its Mogaji has expressed its willingness to additional land as may be needed for take-off and without compensation. RABSIH has also pledged this morning to bulldoze this additional land as it did in the first instance. Governor Oyetola has promised to sign the C of O immediately the survey is ready. We appreciate the team of Surveyors from Iwoland under the able leadership of Surv. Adeyemi and Ogunola for their professionalism.
6. To end my speech, I ask you all to be ambassadors of providing public enlightenment on COVID-19 and the avoidance of rape. COVID-19 is real. Respect guidelines to avoid community spread. I urge you all to cooperate fully with the Federal Government in making this College take off successfully.
Every Iwoland citizen is anxious to partner with the College and contributes their quota. I thank Iwoland’s sons and daughters at home and in the diaspora for their contributions in cash and kindness toward the hosting of this event. We must enrol our wards in the College and market as well.
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7. I thank the team from Abuja for the long hours that it spent coming to Iwo and the travel ordeal it will experience to travel back to Abuja. The teams from Lands and Education had been fantastic in the past four months. Iwoland gained from their expertise and consultations. In the next few years of the existence of the College, our prayer is that it will, in sha Allah, be upgraded to a Federal University of Education.
Thank you all for coming and best wishes from the Royal Throne of Oluwo of Iwoland.
JULY 4 2020 AT THE PERMANENT SITE OF FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ELERE, P. M. B. 420, IWO, OSUN STATE.