James Sowole in Abeokuta
A first class traditional ruler, the Olu Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, has called on indigenes of the area at home and Diaspora to prioritise investment in the area as a way of giving back to their native land.
The monarch made the call during the inauguration of an ultra-modern Amusement Park and Yewa Frontier Radio in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The monarch described the Amusement Park as a spectacular project that would deepen the recreational experience of the younger ones.
He said Yewa Frontier Radio 109.2 FM, which is the first in the axis, would provide a sustainable platform for people of the Senatorial district to tell their stories, thereby enhancing further growth and development of Yewaland as a whole.
Olugbenle, who commended the founder of the park and radio station, Mr Afisu Olabintan, described him as a pride of Yewaland who is never keen about profit for establishing the noble projects in his hometown.
The monarch said the founder has been a personality, who is always after the even development of Yewaland, creation of employment for its teeming youth.
He implored people of the area to always allow growth and development to be paramount in their hearts and to eschew any act that is capable of serving as a stumbling block to sustainable development being sited within the community.
In an interview with journalists, the United States of America-based engineer said he established the amusement park and radio station in the community as a show of reciprocation of the love his hometown, Yewaland, has given to him and for the prosperity of the people.
Olabimtan declared that he has not established the radio station for joining politics or to contest for elective office.
He said: “We are all made to make different things out of our lives. My plan was to be an engineer, to be an innovator. I am not cut out to be a politician. I’ve almost lived for 50 years in the US. I am satisfied. There is no intent to be a politician in my agenda.
“It is part of my grand plan to be here because of my engineering background. When I was given the opportunity, I was asked to do something for the community. When I came here years ago, I could do more as my capacity allows me to do more. I’ve a grand plan, and that plan is what we are witnessing here today.”
Olabintan identified lack of infrastructure as one the factors that has been hindering even development in the country, especially in communities in the state.
“On this, I am seeing improvement. What I’ve done in Ilaro, I’ve done two projects in Lekki before this. And that provides a source of funds. There is no intent for me to take profit. I’ve never profited from what I’ve done in Nigeria. There is never a need for it. There is endless opportunity, and my return is the provision and the feeling of being fulfilled giving back to my roots,” he said.
While advising the federal government on some of the challenges of the nation, Olabintan lamented that Nigeria has been a one-source country and one that is not as rich as many tend to believe, adding that corruption is not only the problem of Nigeria but poverty.
“There is no enough sources to feed Nigeria. When I left this country, I think Nigeria’s population was 57 million. Now, we are 200-something million. This source is not enough. It is not all about corruption.
“It is lack of infrastructure. When I left this country, Nigeria, China, and India were all third-world countries. Look at where they are now. They are all going upward. We are going downward. It is because our planning was poor. People didn’t have vision, and the Bible says, ‘Without vision, the people perish.’ That is what happened to Nigeria.”
The America-based engineer, who disclosed that he left Nigeria at the age of 20 years, also enjoined Nigerians in the Diaspora to dispel the myth of being attacked with witchcraft. He described it as a “fear created by ourselves” and urged them not to allow this to prevent them from giving back to their community as he has done.
Earlier, the wife of the Senator Representing Ogun West Senatorial district in the National Assembly, Chief Mrs. Temitope Adeola, commended Olabintan for establishing the projects, describing it as laudable, a very big project, and a laudable project.
“While I was coming in, I said this is little London. The people in Yewa are enjoying because where I am from, which is around Abuja, we don’t have all these, and I think this is big, and I want to thank you, sir, for bringing this here, and it’s one of its kind.
“I was asking Olori why we were sitting there; when did this project start? She said it started four years ago. Four years ago, and it’s still looking new, as if they just built it? The maintenance is top-notch. Everything I am seeing here is quality, and thank you, sir, for bringing this here. The radio station that has been brought here as well is a very good project. It is giving us, the Yewa, a voice so that we can hear ourselves as a community. And I want to encourage us to use it positively because most of the time, the social media now is being used for negative things.”
She enjoined people of Yewaland to use the projects for the betterment of their community. “Let people hear our voice, let them hear our culture, let them hear what, let them hear what we believe in. We should change the narrative out there because most of the time, they think Yewa is not doing anything, but we are doing a lot as a community. So, please, let’s use the Radio Station as a medium to communicate to the world, not only Africa, not only Nigeria, but to the world what Yewa can achieve as a community.”
