Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, revered as the Alake of Egbaland, has issued a heartfelt call for national cohesion, underscoring that without a collective spirit of cooperation and affection, the nation’s journey towards prosperity and development faces insurmountable hurdles.
Addressing attendees on Friday, he delivered remarks during a ceremony dedicated to honoring the late Chief Tairu Olaleye, grandfather of the former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Safadeen Ishola, recognized as the Hero of the Year during the Lisabi Festival.
Gbadebo highlights that the Lisabi Festival holds deeper significance beyond cultural festivities—it serves as a catalyst for unity among the Egba people and as a platform for promoting values of altruism and effective leadership.
Highlighting Chief Tairu Olaleye’s pivotal role in Egbaland’s advancement, he stressed that the late chief’s unwavering dedication to his people earned him the well-deserved posthumous accolade as the Hero of the Year at the 2024 Lisabi Festival.
Alake further added that the event not only provided a platform to celebrate accomplishments and honor outstanding individuals but also served as a catalyst for fostering unity among Egba sons and daughters.
“We use Lisabi festival to promote selflessness, to promote leadership qualities in all Egba sons and daughters, to promote what we are known for. Education is our number one industry; to promote education and entrepreneurship.
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“This year, we chose agric business, and we have had a series of lectures, bankers coming to tell us about what facilities are available to farmers and we have gotten so many Egba sons who have produced the equipment that so many of our children will need when they’re going into 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 immediate past Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, reflected on his family’s pride in their heritage, with his grandfather being honoured.
He said, “Unity will achieve a lot in terms of having a common agenda for development. The essence thus, is to galvanise ourselves together and uplift Egbaland in terms of socio-economic issues, employment and other infrastructure because one thing that always brings development for any set of people is their unity of purpose and I am happy that we are getting that in Egbaland.”
The crowning moment of the event arrived with the presentation of a certificate posthumously recognizing Chief Tairu Olaleye as the Lisabi Festival’s Hero of the Year for 2024.
In attendance at the event were other esteemed royal figures, including Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, and Oba Saka Matemilola, the distinguished Olowu of Egba-Owu, among a host of other esteemed guests.
Each March, the Lisabi Festival commemorates the legendary Lisabi Agbongbo Akala’s courageous actions, which led to the liberation of the Egbas from the rule of the Oloyo, celebrating his enduring legacy of bravery and resistance.
Through exhibitions and activities, the festival endeavors to underscore the enduring importance of the virtues and values exemplified by Lisabi, with the overarching goal of advancing the growth and prosperity of Egbaland and Ogun State.
The festival serves as a melting pot of Egbaland’s diverse communities, blending together in a spectacular exhibition of pomp and ceremony.