The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has urged Nigerians to come together, saying that a society can't progress and develop without love and cooperation among its people and leaders.
He spoke on Friday at an event celebrating the late Chief Tairu Olaleye, the grandfather of the former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Amb Safadeen Ishola, as the Hero of the Year for the annual Lisabi Festival.
According to Gbadebo, the Lisabi Festival is not just about celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Egba people but also a major platform that unites the people and promotes selflessness and strong leadership qualities.
He remarked that the contributions of the Hero of the Year 2024 Lisabi Festival, Chief Tairu Olaleye, to the development of Egbaland, were significant, noting that the late Egba chief served the people diligently and deserved the posthumous award.
Alake also mentioned that the event served as a platform to honor exemplary individuals, celebrate achievements, and foster unity among Egba people.
“We use Lisabi festival to promote selflessness, to foster leadership qualities in all Egba people, to promote what we are known for. Education is our primary industry; to promote education and entrepreneurship.
“This year, we chose agric business, and we have had a series of lectures, bankers coming to tell us about available facilities for farmers, and we have had many Egba people produce equipment that many of our children will need for farming.
“We can truly achieve a lot in unity and cooperation. This is why I am calling on all of us irrespective of our tribes to be more interested in fostering unity and peace, not only in Egba land but across the country because the progress, prosperity, growth, and development of any society lies in these ingredients of unity and peace”, the monarch said.
Tunji-Isola, the former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, expressed his family’s pride in their heritage, with his grandfather being honored.
He said, “Unity will achieve a lot in terms of having a common agenda for development. The essence thus, is to galvanize ourselves together and uplift Egbaland in terms of socio-economic matters, employment, and other infrastructure because one thing that always brings development for any group of people is their unity of purpose and I am happy that we are getting that in Egbaland.”
The highlight of the event was the presentation of a certificate recognizing the late Chief Tairu Olaleye as the Lisabi Festival Hero of the Year, 2024.
Other royal fathers at the event were Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, and Oba Saka Matemilola, the Olowu of Egba-Owu, among other dignitaries.
Lisabi Festival is an annual event held in March in memory of the legendary Lisabi Agbongbo Akala for his heroic actions in securing freedom for the Egbas from the Oloyo.
The festival is meant to display and encourage the good qualities and beliefs respected by Lisabi to further improve the Egbaland and Ogun State.
The festival gathers people from all over Egbaland in a magnificent show of grandeur and ceremony.
