By _ Babatunde Kaka & Ronny Ikpoto
- “Ileya itself preaches love, generosity, and peace” – Alara.
Alara of Ilara Kingdom, Oba Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo, as well as his Royal counterpart, Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja, the Aladeshonyin and Paramount Ruler of Odo-Noforija kingdom, Eredo LCDA, have urged the good people of Epe Division to draw from the significance of the Eid-El-Kabir celebrations and embrace love, peace and their attendant virtues for the growth and development of the Division.
Oba Ogunsanwo, who was speaking in an interview with Eko Hot Blog at his Royal Edifice said this year’s Ileya festival is of landmark significance to him being the first he is celebrating as the Alara of Ilara land.
“Let me start by congratulating everyone in Epe Division, particularly in Ilara, Igbonwo, and Eredo LCDA for this year’s Sallah celebration tagged Eid-al-adha. It is a thing of joy being my own very first on the throne of my forefathers that we are celebrating this year’s Eid.”
“Ileya itself preaches love, preaches generosity, preaches peace. So I want to implore everyone, just like I told them at the Eid yesterday that we need to love each other. We need to be our brother’s and our sister’s keeper. We also need to embrace peace. The government, particularly the government of Lagos State and eve at the Local Government Level, they are trying their best to ensure that they make life more comfortable for the citizens,” Alara stated.
Alara also urged Epe indigenes to enclasp patriotism by supporting Government’s efforts in taking Lagos State to higher heights.
“We know that there is still a lot to be done, but Government is doing a lot. So they need to also be supportive of whatever the government is doing.There is an adage that says that you should think of what you can do for your country, not what your country can do for you.”
He further noted that we can do much as individuals, families, towns, divisions, if we conduct our daily endeavours on the high plain of discipline, noting that “If we obey all the laws, that means we are responsible citizens, and that will make life easier for others as well.”
On security, Alara enjoined the good people of Epe to shun all forms of vices capable of ruffling the social fabric of the community, as no society is bound to progress in the midst of pervasive insecurity.
“I also want to implore everyone, that we should not allow ourselves to be used by bad elements. We have various problems for instance in our community. We have issues of land grabbing, we have issues of cultism. We have issues of kidnapping, and so on. These were not part of us before. So we need to sit down and have a rethink, especially at this time. We should meditate and ponder over all these things, and turn a new leaf to ensure that we are doing things the right way.
“Our community is fast developing. People want to come and settle down here with us because our area here is now a new Lagos.”
Alara noted that would-be investors or tourists will only find Epe attractive when peace and harmony reigns because “Development cannot thrive in a chaotic society.
“The spirit of Ileya should not be for only these two days, but should be our way of life in our day to day activities,” he added.
In the same vein, Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja JP (Mbe), the Aladeshonyin and Paramount Ruler of Odo-Noforija kingdom, Eredo LCDA, Epe Division, who also spoke with Eko Hot Blog at his Royal palace, urged the people of Epe to give thanks to God regardless of the economic situation which sullied the Ileya festival for many families.
“Despite the situation with the COVID-19 on ground. We thank God that at least, as usual, some of our subjects came back home to celebrate with us.
Oba Ogunlaja, who regretted that the COVID-19 pandemic had necessitated the cancellation of the Ojude Oba this year, said it remains his sacred responsibility to pray for the well-being of his subjects regardless of the cancellation of the customary homage paying ceremony.
“The only thing we are unable to do is the Ojude Oba, which normally comes up on the second day of Ileya, just because of this COVID-19, since our Papa, the Awujale of Ijebu land said there is no ojude Oba celebration to ease the Covid situation.”
“One way or the other they need to summon courage. it’s not the first time that this type of situation has come up. All we need to do is to thank God almighty for his mercy on us.
READ MORE:
- Eid-El-Kabir: Epe Club Donates Traffic Booths To Security & Safety Agencies
- REPORT: 2021 Eid-El-Kabir Celebrations In Epe
“We all know that the insecurity in many places in Lagos State is too rampant, and at the same time, we the elders of the community, we play our own roles to make sure that peace reigns in every individual community,” he said.
Similarly, Oba Aderibigbe Asunmo, the Alayandelu of Odo-Ayandelu kingdom, felicitated with all indigenes of Epe on the occasion of this year’s Eid-El-Kabir celebrations, noting that the gift of life itself in the precarious times we live in is enough to be thankful for, regardless of the austere economic countenance of the country.
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