…Urge Nigerians in diaspora to think home
By Wuraola Oyedokun
The Mogaji of Ile Abaya Alekuso, Ibadan, Chief Adeniyi Alao Adeleke, and his wife, Olori Monisola Adeleke, recently hosted members and leaders of the Distinguished Royal Club 25 of Ibadan.
Mogaji and Olori Adeleke
The club, comprising distinguished mojagis in Ibadan, had its monthly meeting at the Elebu house of the Adelekes. Speaking on the essence of the get-together and bonding, Chief Adeleke said the reunion was to cement their relationship and take the club to another level.
The United Kingdom-based Mogaji said: ‘’We are celebrating Mogajis of Ibadan, we have a club of 19 members. Today, we are hosting them to celebrate Eid-El-Kabir. Friends and family members are joining us to celebrate. It is a union because some of us are outside the country. It is a get-together where we cement our relationship and take the club to another level’’,
He expressed his joy for being at home and bond with his friends, family and acquaintances.
Mogaji Adeleke said: ‘’There is no place like home. My wife and I have been in the UK for 35 years. I have always been an Ibadan man to the core. After the UK, Ibadan is the next place for me. I enjoy home and we will keep on praying for the country for peace to reign. This is where we belong’’.
Mogaji and Olori Adeleke
Speaking in the same vein, Olori Adeleke said: ‘’I feel fulfilled. This is home; there is no amount of time you can spend outside, home will always be home. When I come home, I feel this is where I belong. I left home at 21, and am going to be 60-year-old. You can sojourn anywhere you want but home should always be at the back of your mind. No matter who you are, where you are ,and what you do, you are still not part of the society. They do not accept you 100 per cent. I will never be British. I will never be English. My husband is an Ibadan man to the core. Whatever we do, we always come home. For us, we have a foundation, and we are giving back to this society. We live abroad but we never left home’’. She urged Nigerians living abroad to come home and reconnect with their roots.
In his remarks, the Mogaji Aikulola Aibinu Omo 1, and Vice Chancellor, Summit University, Offa, Kwara State, Prof Abiodun Musa Aibunu, said: ‘’Today is one of the most important days in the life of the Ibadan Distinguished Royal Club. As a club we meet every month in order to review our activities and to celebrate. In Ibadan, we rule as Mogaji and it is the only way to reign as the Olubadan . So, it is more or less, the meeting of rulers in Ibadan, because we are Mogajis. We meet to discuss our communities and plan how to move them forward.’’
Members of Distinguished Royal Club
Also speaking, the first President of the club, Mogaji Moshood Gbolagade Akere of the Akere dynasty, said: ‘’We are here today because Mogaji Adeleke is hosting us for the monthly meeting of our club. And at the same time we are also celebrating Ileya festival. The club is for the progress of our families, communities and Ibadan land at large’’.
On his part, the Secretary General of the club, and Mogaji Olukunle, Isale Alfa, Ibadan, Prof. Lateef Oladimeji Sanni, said the meeting was a home-coming for the distinguished mogajis.
The professor, who is the Executive Director, Nigerian Stored Product Research Institute,and former Deputy Vice Chancellor [DVC] of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,said the meeting was a blend of the Global North and South colleagues.
‘’We are meeting today and celebrating ourselves. Everybody needs to be part of governance. Our club will be advancing because we formed this club to expand compounds and improve on our young ones in terms of educational support, welfare of the environment, and making things right in Ibadan land’’, the ex-DVC said.
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