2019: ‘Ogun West needs unity to win’

A Yewa son and President of Gbenga Akinwande Foundation, Mr Gbenga Akinwande, has urged the Council of Obas in Yewa (Ogun West) to ensure stronger unity to enable the zone catch up with others.

Akinwande urged the Council of Obas to initiate programmes to engender inter-and-intra communal bond among communities.

The Europe-based indigene of Ayetoro in Yewa North Local Government Area, spoke at  the launch of the foundation – to develop soccer talents in children as well as stimulate activities to boost development of the area.

The philanthropist urged the Alaye of Ayetoro, Oba Azeez Adelakun, and the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Olanite, to meet with the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewa, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, and present the issue before him.

Akinwande said he was aware of the zone’s aspiration to produce the next governor in 2019 and expressed the confidence that should the Yewa Council Obas keep negotiating with the Ijebu and Egba leaders of thought, the “Yewa for Governor Agenda” would come to pass.

He regretted that Ogun West is the “least developed” zone in the state because               the indigenes have not done much over the years to unite and make the area great.

The philanthropist urged sons and daughters to help reverse its backward status.

He said the state and Federal governments had neglected the senatorial district (Yewa) over a long period, despite the “revenues” that accrued to them annually from the area.

Akinwande said the newly established Ogun State Polytechnic at Imeko and Ipokia under Governor Ibikunle Amosun may eliminate social ills in the two Ogun West border communities.

He urged the governor to also locate a state university in the zone.

He appealed to Amosun to upgrade the Ayetoro campus of the College of Agriculture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), to a full-fledged university of agriculture to enhance the economic development of Ogun since it is an agrarian state.

In attendance at the Gbenga Akinwande Foundation launch, which also featured three categories of football competitions among budding soccer stars in Ogun West, are the Chairman of Yewa North Local Government Area, Rasaq Adeagbo, representatives of Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Olanite, among others.