A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 2-DAY ILAJE NATION CONFERENCE 2025 HELD FROM 22ND TO 23RD AT EVENT HALL BON HOTEL IJAPO ESTATE, AKURE, ONDO STATE
1.0 PREAMBLE
The Ilaje Nation Conference 2025 Planning Committee organized a two-day conference for stakeholders in Ilaje land on the theme “Unity in Diversity: Unlocking our Full Potentials”. The conference was convened to keep stakeholders abreast on the need to facilitate the sustainable development of the Ilaje Nation.
2.0 ATTENDANCE
The conference was attended by the traditional rulers, HIM Oba Williams Akinyomi (Amapetu of Mahin), HIM Oba Ilesanmi Ikuemonisan-Mafo (Maporure of Aheri), HIM Oba Owoyele Temidayo (Olikan of Etikan), Spiritual leaders, H.H. Oba Micah Olaseni Ajijo (Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro), H.H. Henry Mobolorunduro Ogunfeyimi (King of Ugbonla Zion), His Holiness Oluwole Judah (King of Zion-Pepe), Government Functionaries, Justice Ayedun Olusegun Odusola (Chief Judge), Rt. Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan (MHA Ilaje I), Hon. Olawunmi Fayemi-Obayelu (MHA Ilaje II), Mr. Bayo Phillip (Head of Service), Ilaje Elders, Araba Tony Ebietomiye, Chief (Mrs.) Ebisemiju Siliphana, Chief Nimbe Tawose, Top Ilaje Leaders (Technocrates, Politicians and Political Leaders), Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), Chief Olusola Ebiseni, Engr. Benjamin Olomidegun, Hon. Kolade V. Akinjo, and over 200 participants (illustrious sons and daughters of Ilaje origin) also participated and the press.
3.0 PRESENTATIONS
The conference was enriched by presentations, speeches, and goodwill messages. The objectives which encapsulate the mission and vision of Ilaje National Conference 2025 was presented by the convener, Engr. Benjamin Olomidegun, as follows:
To forge unity among the Ilajes as a people bound by history, common heritage, culture and language.
To identify and facilitate efforts to harness development and potentials in our nation.
To identify and coordinate all forces, factors, resources and sources for the development of Ilaje land.
To offer a common platform necessary to articulate Ilaje agenda at all levels.
To capitalize on, sieze upon and utilize every opportunity, window and avenue available from time to time to fast track the rapid development of our area.
To monitor, protect and provide enabling environment for the development of projects in our land.
To put in place structures, including committees, think-tanks, task forces, et cetera, that will identify, incubate, develop and enhance the implementation of development ideas, concepts, agenda, et cetera.
To identify other avenues of funding, i.e. donor agencies, NGOs, corporate entities, other bodies and individuals, to complement the efforts of government on the funding of projects and social amenities.
To corporate and work with government at all levels (local, state and federal) to enhance accelerated and sustainable development of Ilaje nation.
To advise, cooperate and collaborate with government and security agencies to ensure and provide a well secured environment, without which development efforts and sacrifices could be in vain.
Savouring the joy of the recent election of His Excellence Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa as the governor of Ondo State which evidently marks the first in the history of Ilaje nation, he concluded that this landmark achievement by the illustrious son of Ilaje will unarguably give the Ilaje nation the required factors required to actualize the vision and mission of the conference and consequently move the Ilaje nation to her promise land. Hence, he opened that this rare opportunity must be optimized by Ilaje nation.
4.0 OBSERVATIONS
Arising from the speeches, paper presentations, and contributions of participants, the following observations were made:
1. Poverty: The problem of Ilaje is not dichotomy per se but that of abject poverty. The narrative that dichotomy is the bane of our underdevelopment is no longer tenable and should be discarded. Dichotomy is not exclusive to Ilaje nation.
2. Weak Human Capital: Lack of capacity and poor educational foundation have contributed more to our underdevelopment.
3. Environmental Degradation: Our environment makes infrastructural provision much more expensive than what is obtainable upland.
4. Political Marginalization and Unbalanced development arising from predatory political ascendancy and ego-centrism.
5. Collapse of community governance structure
6. Project implementation failures and conspicuous absence of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
7. Limited infrastructure and social amenities: Lack of road, inadequate healthcare, and poor education facilities
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
To therefore combat these challenges and accelerate Ilaje development, the Conference resolved as follows:
To establish a higher institution in Ilaje land in order to promote sound education, reduce out of school children ratio, reward excellence and innovation in form of incentives.
To tackle our environmental challenge, it was recommended that there is a need to drain the rivers that traverse Ilaje land into the sea by deliberately opening up four of the estuaries to dry up the wet terrain and make them available to agriculture and oil and gas activities.
To stimulate economic activities, we should encourage SMEs incubation in all the twelve wards of Ilaje local government area.
Political power must be deliberately used for the development of the area.
To put up a dispute resolution mechanism for Ilaje land.
To identify and coordinate all forces, factors, resources and sources for the development of Ilaje land.
It was agreed that we should capitalize on, seize upon and utilize every opportunity available to fast track the rapid development of our area.
We must monitor, protect and provide enabling environment for the development of projects in our land.
To secure the land and encourage external investments, we shall advise, cooperate and collaborate with government and security agencies to ensure and provide a well secured environment, without which development efforts and sacrifices could be in vain.
To set up a body to be known as Ilaje Nation with its own executive and various sub-committees under it.
6.0 APPRECIATION
The Ilaje Nation Conference 2025 Planning Committees was commended for organizing the conference and advocated for its sustainability. The participants were also commended for their dedication and immense contributions to the success of the conference.
Issued this day Sunday 23rd of February, 2025.
Signed
Professor Aderonke J. Ikuomola
Dr. Wunmi Ilawole- Egbaiyelo
Prince (Barr) Lawson Akintokun
NB: Published as received
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