The week-long activities marking this year's Ago Iwoye Day Celebrations ended last Saturday with funfare and honours to sons and daughters of the ancient town.
The ceremony, which held at the Imososi Primary School playground, Ago-Iwoye was a colourful event that paraded the rich cultural heritage of the people.
Chairman, Ago-Iwoye Central Development Council (ACDC), Comrade Awotunde Awobona, in his address, appealed to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to complete the second lane of the roads from Ilisan, Irolu, Ijebu-Ijesha to Ago-Iwoye and other township roads which he said are becoming impassable day and night.
“Let me quickly and equivocally state here that Professor Sanya Onabamiro Model School which should have added to this glory is left to rot away just like that.
"This is a huge infrastructural education facility which should have been released to Ago-Iwoye Central Development Council (ACDC) management with adequate support always enjoyed from its compatriots both at home and in diaspora, to uplift and reawake the dying scholastic giant in our youth”.
Chairman of the occasion, Oluomo (Dr.) Femi Bakre, commended the leadership of (ACDC) both past and present for their relentless contributions to the development of Ago-Iwoye via their numerous community development projects that have been executed over the years.
According to him, various development projects such as city hall and community hospital executed by ACDC would not have been possible if not for the judicious spending of donations generated from the annual Ago-Iwoye Day Celebration.
Bakre urged the ACDC to continue in this stride, as he thanked its entire membership for honouring him with the chairmanship of the event.
While appreciating the Ogun State government for its contributions to the development of Ago-Iwoye, Bakre appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to kindly prioritize Ago-Iwoye in the area of provision of adequate infrastructural facilities
Bakre called on the governor to come to the aid of Ago-Iwoye in tackling the humongous security challenges facing the town and its people.
Alhaja Medinat Kazeem, in her message as the chairperson of the occassion congratulated ACDC for the various successes recorded since the beginning of the annual celebration which had brought developments to the town.
She appealed to all indigenes of Ago-Iwoye to see themselves as stakeholders in the town's project and work individually and collectively to uplift the town.
The Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdul-Razaq Adesina Adenugba expressed joy at the success of this year’s celebration, saying that the people of Ago-Iwoye have always made him proud.
He prayed for more progress and development of the town, adding that the peaceful atmosphere in the town was as a result of the support he enjoys from indigenes of the town.
He charged all sons and daughters of Ago-Iwoye to continue to work for the progress development of the town at all times.
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who was represented by the Secretary to Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, in his speech congratulated Oba Abdul-Razaq Adesina Adenugba and all sons and daughters of Ago-Iwoye for being part of the significant and memorable event.
Abiodun said the festival represents a major commercial activity that fosters economic integration and development within the Ijebu community, uniting all Ijebus across religious divides.
The governor said his administration is committed to promoting “our cultural values, harnessing the long-standing potential of our people and our land to drive indigenous economic enterprises, create employment opportunities and ultimately establish Ogun State as a vibrant and sustainable tourism destination.
Highpoints of the celebration was conferment of awards on deserving sons and daughters of the town for their contributions to the development of Ago-Iwoye.
*Culled from The Great Achiever Magazine