The country home of the Olori Omooba of Ijebuland, Otunba Subomi Balogun (the Tunwase Court) is gradually becoming a religious tourist’s centre, following the drove of visitors, religious and traditional leaders, sons and daughters of Ijebuland that thronged the venue for the New Year thanksgiving service on yearly bases.
The 2018 edition was not just a consolidation of past events, but also a renewed commitment by the visitors to create a communal platform to assess the past years’ achievements and thanking the Founder of FCMB Group, Otunba Balogun’s philanthropic effort at reaching out to the people of Ijegbu and beyond through different people-driven project.
However, the this year’s prayer session hosted at the Tunwase court, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, gave another privilege to royal fathers, former governor, clergymen, friends and well wishers of Ijebuland to reunite, celebrate and thank God for another new year.
The venue which was filled to the brim, featured different songspiration offered by different Christians groups took turns to give the hosts gifts in appreciation of the numerous support the Asiwaju of Ijebu Christian, Otunba Balogun has given to the society.
speaking with journalists after the thanksgiving service, Otunba Balogun disclosed “I am organising it because I am the Asiwaju of Ijebu Christian , the tradition I met when I took over from the first Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians, where annually Christians and even Muslims to kick-start the new year will go and offer prayers in the house of the Awujale and after that they come to the home of the Asiwaju.
“The significance is to give an opportunity for the Asiwaju to join everybody in thanking God for what the good Lord has done for all of us the year before and asking him to continue to guard and take care of us for the new year.
“I think that its significance is not just for Christians, but also for all people. The Yoruba says if you give thanks for the favour done in the past that you will receive more favours.
He added “So the essence is that I have invited all Christians and friends, there were some Muslims too, to join me in thanking God for all he has done in protecting us, in providing us with everything and in giving us good health.
We can now expect that the same good Lord will continue to be with us for the new year. So, it not just a religious thing, it is something that has become habitual.
Also responding to questions on the demand by the leadership of CAN in Ijebu land for him to rally round others to develop the town, Balogun said “ they made the appeal because I am an Ijebu patriot and one of the senior citizens in Ijebu. While in the palace they made similar request and God being in our support, we will do whatever lies in our path.
He added that on what they wanted to be done about the Otunba Tunwase Paediatric centre is a work in progress. “Four years ago, I transferred the institution the University of Ibadan, it takes a bit of doing, but from what I know they are doing their best.
“When we were running it, it was typically children and nursing mothers hospital, but I told them when I was giving it to them during my 80th birthday that beyond what it is doing now this is an opportunity to give general medical service and only to specialise in children and anything that has to do with nursing mother.
“That is why I said it is work in progress. They are already doing something and it takes a bit of time. We started as a specialist children hospital, the health care, welfare and management of children’s health.
“I said they should increase their activities, but not to change the name and also the institution will still be Otunba Tuwase National Paediatric Centre . The enlargement of their activities is work in progress.
Balogun who at all times strictly alienates himself from any that has to do with politic use the avenue to send a message to Nigerians at this particular period, according to him, “as a senior citizen who have seen a bit of this world, I think I will recommend prayerfulness for all Nigerians, I will also recommend steadfastness in our faith in God, with Him behind us nothing is impossible.
“The first thing I will say to Nigerians is to be conscientious in praying and having faith that having prayed that the good Lord will answer our prayers.
There is a lot wrong with the country and my prayer is that the good lord will guard everybody including our government that everybody will do the right thing. Between friends, family and universally, we should put God first and seek His face and everything else will be right.
“I don’t discuss politics, but I believe that we need prayers and the good face of the almighty God to move us forward. In God’s own good time our prayers will be heard in this country.”
Speaking on God’s inspiration for giving back to his people, Otunba Balogun said “I think God made me what I am and in return for what He has done for me, I am doing all these. There are many Ijebus and if God singled me out and made me what I am, who am I? It is in appreciation of the unique endowment the good Lord gave to me that I do whatever I do.
“I am not the only ijebu to be a lawyer, I am not the only ijebu to be a banker, I am not the only ijebu to be made Otunba, I am not the only ijebu to be anything, but there are all sorts of birds flying the air, but the Eagle is the king of all birds.
So, when we pray as Christians, we say God should renew our energy like that of the Eagle. The motivation is that God has been so kind to me. He made me what I am and in return, I am doing what I am doing.
I am happy my royal father appreciates what I am doing that after being given the title of Otunba, he decided to make Olori of Omo obas. It is God that has been doing this that I was also made the Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians even when my mother was the Iyasuna of Muslims in Ijebu.
and then