His Excellency , Mr. Gboyega Oyetola , the Executive Governor of Osun State has commended the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, CFR, LL.D, and sons and daughters of Ijesaland for building a distinctive palace to the Owa Obokun royalty.
Governor Oyetola made this commendation while commissioning a newly-constructed ultra-modern palace of Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland at a ceremony that took place the Owa's Palace Grounds at Ilesa on Saturday, 26th December, 2020.
Addressing the people at the commissioning ceremony, Oyetola said that the gesture would further cement the existing bond of unity, love, harmony and brotherhood among the sons and daughters of Ijesaland in particular and Osun in general.
"I congratulate and thank Kabiyesi for bequeathing this iconic palace to the Owa Obokun royalty. In many ways, this iconic abode speaks unequivocally of the reverence and invaluable worth of Kabiyesi and the Owa Obokun royalty to the Ijesa people", he said.
In his remarks, the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, said the construction of the palace was in furtherance of demonstration of Ijesa people to development and good things.
Oba Aromolaran noted that the construction of the new palace would further enthrone the spirit of love, oneness and togetherness among the Ijesa.
The foremost traditional ruler commended the sons and daughters of Ijesaland for their team spirit that ensured the successful completion of the project which was done within nine months.
In a text delivered by the Palace Project Initiator and the Chairman of the project's Management Team, Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi at the occasion, he re-traced how he got a royal charge from Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland when on Saturday, 22nd October, 2016, he and his wife were installed as Asiwaju and Yeye Asiwaju of Ilesa.
"His Imperial Majesty pronounced that for the now installed Asiwaju Fasuyi to justify his appointment, he should build a beffitting palace for him. He supported this requirement with previous unsuccessful attempts to build the new Palace after the old Palace got burned about ten years before then.
"I must confess today that I never took the royal charge seriously, not out of the non-necessity for a well deserved, ultra and beffitting palace for our Imperial Majesty, but more because I thought it was too much a responsibility for His Imperial Majesty to thrust on my shoulders.
"I concluded that I would personally reach out to one hundred (100) philanthropists and industrious sons and daughters of Ijesaland both at home and abroad to donate and contribute in whatever capacity towards the realization of this historic project....... the laudable project came by the approval of the Almighty God, Royal consent and initiated by me." Asiwaju Fasuyi said.
In other to make the project more attractive to the willing contributors, the Project Management Team comprising of Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi as Chairman, Rev'd Prince Adelowo Adebiyi as Vice Chairman, Engr. Busayo Aluko as General Secretary, Lady Dupe Ajayi Gbadebo as Legal Adviser and Chief Afolabi Igbaroola as Treasurer promised to inscribe the names of everyone that donate the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) and above somewhere in the Palace for posterity. The same was said for the Project Consultant, Architect, Surveyor and the entire Engineers whose profound expertise would have cost tens of millions of Naira if not for the selflessness and service to Ijesaland.
It is on record that all money disbursed in this project are directly to the contractor and it is of tremendous importance to note that the One Hundred Million Naira (N100,000,000) initially budgeted later-on moved to Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N250,000,000) and then to Two Hundred and Sixty-Five Million Naira (N265,000,000).
The collective 'WILL' to join hands together to execute this project has proven beyond every reasonable doubt that Ijesas have all that is required to take their own destiny in their own hands.
The highlight of the Palace commissioning also included the decoration of the members of the Projects Management Team (PMT), Project Monitoring Evaluation Committee (PMEC) and the Project Consultant, Architect and Surveyor.
The icing on the cake turned out to be the upgrade of the chieftaincy title of the chieftaincy title earned by Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi as Asiwaju of Ilesa to the more dignifying and exquisite title of Asiwaju of Ijesaland.
In upgrading the chief, KABIYESI Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland remarked that his conceiving, monitoring and fully executing the Palace Project within an unbelievable space of mine months accounted for the upgrade. What a lesson in industry!
Furthermore, by Nigerian standard of estimation, the project cost will remain a reference point for ages to come.
Again, but for deft supervision, such project would have gulped five times the cost.
Asiwaju really earned the elevation. A cross section of Obas in Ijesaland corroborated Kabiyesi's stance on Asiwaju's pedigree. What a lesson in industry and commitment!
Asiwaju, a management consultant and strategist, who is not given to frivolities but ever focused has conceived the next level project which borders on longevity for all and sundry.
Come January 2021, Ijesa sons and daughters shall again be preoccupied with mobilisation for Health is wealth project.
Those in attendance were a former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye ; members of the National and State House of Assemblies; members of the State Executive Council; traditional rulers in Ijesaland; and sons and daughters of Ijesaland, among others.
Photos: (Credit Oladimeji Lasore +2347035105413)
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