Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, representing Ogun West, has charged leaders of the district not to relent in their struggle to become governor in 2027.
Senator Adeola made the plea in Ilaro as chief launcher and chairman at the 30th Anniversary of Yewa Think Tank, (YTT)
YTT launched its N200 million Yewa Unity House Development Fund in Ilaro, the political capital of Yewa.
He described as unfair, unjust and inequitably anomaly for the people not to have produced a governor in spite of its repeated attempts.
As another opportunity beckons, the senator said: "While I agree that internal and external factors may have conspired against our brothers and sisters that nursed the ambition and contested to lead our dear state in time past without success, it is nonetheless a political truism that political power is not serve “a la carte”
"Singular reliance on the goodwill of some of our brothers in other senatorial zones to actualize our dream will not get us to where we want to be.
"We must collectively contest for power with everything that God Almighty have endowed us with in addition to support from some of our fair minded and just brothers and sisters across the state” he stated.
According to him, years before he became the senator representing the Ogun West people, he had partnered with YTT in delivering some development initiatives to our people.
“My partnership was based on the need to address the stark marginalization of our people in major development indices and the clear vision and dedication of YTT to the goal of sustainable development for Yewaland and beyond.”
Fondly called "Yayi" by his supporters, the Aremo Oba of Yewaland said that since his electoral victory about a year ago, he had facilitated many development initiatives in the area of human and infrastructural development across the length and breadth of Yewaland, Aworiland and across the state.
He listed them to include construction of modern school buildings, major health facilities, modern markets, roads, town halls, Police stations, provision of energy infrastructure like transformers, award of scholarships and bursaries as well as major empowerment programmes for trained constituents and financial grants for our market women.
While assuring that more of such projects and programmes would still come on board in the years ahead, he canvassed the cooperation of YTT to sustain future facilitations in the interest of a holistic development of not only Yewaland but the whole of Ogun West and indeed beyond.
As a leading and knowledge-based organisation, the senator said YTT must dispassionately look at all the variables that should engender success for the district.
“I have no doubt that the wherewithal to achieve the just aspiration of our people is available but we must consciously and painstakingly put our best foot forward this time around.”
While donating N2 million cash for the entertainment of guests at the anniversary, he pledged to bear all the cost of completion of uncompleted multi million-naira YTT Secretariat (Yewa Unity House) in Ilaro within the next six months.
President of YTT, Professor John Aihonsu, commended the senator for his previous supports for YTT, particularly the connection of Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, College of Agricultural Sciences, Ayetoro to the national grid and donation of a 500 KVA transformer.
He recalled that in the 30 years history of YTT, the organisation of eminent, seasoned and highly educated Yewas were instrumental to the change of name of Egbado to Yewa, Yewa Day celebration, Yewa Education Trust Fund and the ongoing multi million Yewa Unity House among other development initiatives.
Notable members of the YTT who attended the invent were former Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Rahman Bello, Professor Taiwo Edun, former president of the YTT, Otunba Samuel Ibikunle,
Others were Professor Ayo Alabi, Professor C.A. Afolami, Alhaji Abbas Olanigan, a retired permanent secretary in Ogun State, as well as Alhaji Muftau Ajibola.
A Second Republic member of the Ogun House of Assembly, Engr. A. Akintomide, Prince Femi Dokunmu, Chief Kayode Odunaro among others also attended.