November 2, 2024

For the Records: Afolabi Presents Communique on Community Development to Onigogo of Igogo-Ekiti

A BLUEPRINT PRESENTED BY THE CHAIRMAN, IGOGO EKITI DAY 2024 PLANNING COMMITTEE, DR WILLIAMS MOBOLAJI AFOLABI TO THE ONIGOGO OF IGOGO-EKITI, HRM OBA (BARR) SUNDAY ADEWUMI (JP) ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH 2024 ON STRATEGIES TO MOVE THE COMMUNITY FORWARD.


PREAMBLE
The idea to hold IGOGO Ekiti national conference, tagged Igogo Ekiti Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, during the 2023 Igogo Day celebrations was borne out of the need to foster unity and enhance accelerated development of the town; and to identify areas of challenges, with the aim of recommending panaceas for the development of the ancient kingdom.


Consequent upon this mandate, the Planning Committee gathered notable sons and daughters of the town, out of whom, a panel of discussants was drawn to assess and elaborate on issues raised in the paper presented by the lead speaker, Dr Segun Ayeni, of blessed memory.


After elaborate discussions at the confab, held at the town hall, the Igogo Ekiti Day Planning Committee took into consideration the social-polical, educational, economic and infrastructural deficiencies which have culminated into the town’s under development in the past, with the aim of addressing them to reposition the town for future greatness.Dr W. M. Afolabi presenting the communique to HRM, Oba (Barr) Olusola Adewumi (JP)


The resolutions arrived at the end of the conference are, therefore, presented in the communique below for the consideration and ratification of the National Executive Council of Igogo Ekiti Development Association (IDA).


SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:
*There is need to rejuvenate the old communal age grades system as a means of sharing information and  creating more awareness of community projects and mobilisation for execution.


* The functionality of family ties (Omo-Ile) settings, where parents impact moral lessons on their wards to  imbibe good citizenship, should be fine tuned.


* The youths should be encouraged to be more vibrant, adventurous, innovative, pragmatic and  hard working to become responsible adults in future by educating  them through available media space, particularly on the dangerous effects of hard drug, which has become a wide spread trend among the Nigerian youths.

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*Social groups and clubs and associations in different parts of the country and the Diaspora should be encouraged to rise up to their responsibilities by executing projects that can facilitate development of the community.


POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT


*Politicians should always work with unity of purpose with Igogo Ekiti agenda as priority, rather than nursing and pursuing personal ambitions that can not engender collective development.


* Our politicians should strive better to occupying higher political posts beyond the purview of the state legislative and executive positiins.


*There is need to identify and work in support of political leaders, who can offer collective political leadership in the town for the achievement of collective aspirations.


*Our politicians need to cultivate the habit of repentance, forgiveness and to forget past misgivings that are capable of truncating the collective will of our people.


* There is need for the creation of Igogo Ekiti  Political Assembly where political potentials can be explored and experienced politicians can mentor younger ones on political strategies and dynamics.


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
*It is imperative to  improve on the status and standard of our market by building/constructing modern lock-up shops.


*Establishment of a special and separate market day for the sales of cassava products in the town, in stead of transporting them to neighboring communities for sale.


*Our market men and women should be encouraged by helping them to secure revolving small scale loans to expand their businesses for more economic gains.


*Diversification of our  business through: cloth weaving, commercial production of locust beans, palm oil, cassava and yam flour etc should be considered as a formidable way of empowering our people; while identification of other economic potentials are germaine to actualise this initiative..

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*Efforts should be put in place to encourage foreigners to live and transact legitimate business in Igogo Ekiti by creating enabling environment for them.
*Our sons and daughters should be encouraged to invest in the town by establishing cottage industries for generation of employment and enhancement of IGR


*There is need to also rejuvenate the old daily evening markets at strategic centres such as; Isaba, Idi Aagba, Idi Ose etc.


D. EDUCATION


*Those that have made remarkable educational/professional attainments in their respective areas of calling, should endeavour to mentor younger generation by organising routine career talks, etc to educate our youths  in career decision making process and development.


* Encourage and expose our youths to the different aspects of ICT, such as graphic designs, web and application development, etc and other lucrative vocations, which can only be done through sponsorship and establishement of free training centres in the town.


*Families and individuals  should institute annual academic competitions and awards to encourage our youths in secondary and tertiary institutions to participate in cognitive exercises.  Those who already keyed into this laudable activity should be encouraged to do more.


* Old Students’ Associations should complement government’s efforts by supporting  and contributing to the development of their primary and secondary Alma maters.


HEALTH.


* There should be more awareness activities on the need to patronise the health institutions, especially Federal Teaching Hospital Annex, situated in Igogo Ekiti, so that the teaching hospital can see good reasons to  upgrade facilities in the annex


*Those in medical profession should attract regular health professionals/missions to the town for free medical education, test and treatment of indigens’ common ailments
*Establishment of community health committee/task force to take care of health emergences in Igogo Ekiti.


INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES


*Establishment of Community Planning Committee to take care of layouts and modern town planning is urgently required to work with families in the allocation of building sites developers in order to avoid disorderliness in the ways people build their houses without access roads.

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*Protection and modernisation of natural features and historical sites that can add value to our environment and attract tourists.


*Owners of old/dilapidated buildings should be mandated to reconstruct such buildings or donate such land to the community for construction of public facilities.


INTRA-COMMUNITY CRISIS


*Community leaders, Chiefs and Clan heads should ensure that members of their respective families embrace  peace and eschew age long accrimonies


*The National Executive Council of Egbe Omo Igogo Ekiti, in collaboration with chiefs and notable indigenes, should identify and steer reconciliation process where animosities exist.


*The Onigogo of Igogo Ekiti and his Council Chiefs should always evolve wide consultations before  taking decisions of community interest.


SECURITY


*Enforcement and maintenance of law and order should be prioritised as basis for overall development. The Chiefs  and the Warlords (Olooguns) should therefore rise up and join hands with other security agents, such as the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, etc to perform their duties of protecting lives and properties of the community residents to avoid recurrence of breakdown of law and order as experienced in the town in recent past.


CONCLUSION


It is the belief and recommendation  of this all important Committe that the lofty ideas enumerated above can be achieved if different committees are set up by the National Executive Committee of the IDA with specific and clear mandates, as a matter of importance, to engineer accelerated development that Igogo Ekiti has been yearning for, over the years.

Signed:
1. Secretary, 2024 Igogo Ekiti Day Planning Committee.
2. Chairman, 2024 Igogo Ekiti  Day Planning Committee.