Olagoke restates need to develop ancestral homes

•commissions landmark projects in Ibadan community

The Founder and Spiritual Head, Shafaudeen- in-Islam; Worldwide, Professor Sabit Ariyo Olagoke has urged the well-to-do in the society to develop their ancestry just as he appealed to prominent indigenes of Aba’nla town in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo state both at home and abroad to actively contribute to the town’s growth and development.

He made the appeal on Sunday during the official commissioning of Ancestry Renaissance Projects which he built at Aba’nla as part of efforts to revitalize the Aba’nla community and contribute his own quota to the development of the town.

The projects are, the rebuilt family house, the reconstructed ancestral Oke Elelubo Mosque built in 1930 in memory of his late father Pa Olagoke, a library bookshop, a study centre, a borehole and a shopping mall.

Recall that the Islamic scholar who is from the Mogaji Ejemu Aare Alasa Dynasty in Ibadanland had visited the family compound in March 2024, for an on-the-spot assessment of the family house which he said had hitherto, been in a state of neglect since most of them left the town to reside at Ogunelu, Aare Alasa compound in Ibadan in 1962

Olagoke during the visit, vowed to set the pace in the uplift of the community and immediately put necessary machinery in place for the construction of a library bookshop, study centre, borehole, shops, and the rebuilding of the family house and the ancestral Oke Elelubo Mosque

The Islamic cleric had also traced his ancestry to the Okere-Ado ruling house in Saki, Saki West Loca Government, Otamokun kingdom in Ogooluwa Local Government of the state and also Ejigbo, Songbe where he had embarked on similar renaissance projects.

In his lecture titled ‘Renaissance Need For Modern Day Civilization: A Must For This Generation’ at the epoch-making event, Olagoke called on prominent sons and daughters of the town to join hands in the crusade to develop the town.

“The efforts of our heroes past must not be in vain, and must not be left to rotten on the table of rhetorics. We must be actionable on it (Q61 vs. 2-4).

“However, without cooperation, the efforts may be in futility, God forbid. Every compound left behind by our ancestors are now in shambles or dilapidated condition.

“We must resurrect our ancestry like Olagoke, Oguntade and OgunElu are being brought alive again forever through this renaissance crusade while praying that Allah, the Almighty shall forgive them of their sins as well as cleanse our bloodline. Ameen,” he said.

The Islamic cleric who is one of the four surviving children out of 44 children of his late father, noted that a lot of developmental projects need to be put in place by well-meaning individual and collective efforts of indigenes of the town, saying that government alone cannot do everything

In an interview with newsmen, Professor Olagoke said “Government can only touch the peripheral areas of our lives and geographical compartments in terms of development. When you go to the suburbs, a lot of all these heritages that are supposed to be tourist attractions are under dilapidation

“Government can not come into people’s compound to effect development, it is the people that will bring development to the compound. We have a lot of rich people, a lot of people that are well travelled. If it’s about not being informed or sensitized in that aspect, I think it’s high time somebody starts the process of renaissance. Waking up something considered dead for people to begin to admire the past glories of our heroes and heroines.

“The genealogical order of your dynasty is supposed to be looked into to bring cohesion into the family. Until I reached the age of 65, I never knew more than my father and siblings, I never knew that I had a lot of enviable heritages, roots and sources. With these challenges now, what should matter to everybody who is blessed by God is to ensure that you touch the lives of the living and the renaissance of our ancestry.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Mogaji Ile Aperin, Isale Alfa, Ibadan, Assistant Inspector General of Police AIG, Fatai Oladipupo rtd. described the event as a challenge to all well-meaning sons and daughters of the town.

“Personally, I have taken the challenge and I implore all my brothers and sisters in the diaspora and in the country to make sure we rally around him in developing the society,” he said

He lauded the efforts of the initiator of the projects, Professor Sabit Olagoke whom he described as an elder brother and an individual who is passionate about the welfare and wellbeing of anyone around him.

Similarly, the Mogaji Efunsetan Aniwura of Ibadanland, Lawal Abiola described the gesture as a lesson to all Mogajis in Ibadanland as well as other Indigenes of Ibadanland.

The occasion had in attendance, The Otamokun of Otamokun kingdom in Ogooluwa Local Government Area of Oyo state, HRM Oba (Dn) Samson Moronfoye Ogunwole ll, Gbadewolu l who commissioned the newly built family house and the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Abdul-Ganiy Abubakar Agbotomokekere who commissioned the Aba’nla community mosque among others Ibadan Mogajis.

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