The Soun of Ogbomosoland, Ghandi Olaoye, has beckoned on sons and daughters to come back home to join in the development of their town, saying there are no more witches in the land.
Olaoye spoke during a dinner held in Abuja on Thursday night, where the logo for the Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival was officially unveiled.
He said it is the dawn of a new era, where light has prevailed over darkness.
He said that God has blessed the Ogbomosos and it’s time to build a model town that would become the envy of all.
The traditional ruler stressed that they have the two DNAs, they are warrior and entrepreneur.
He said it is time for the sons and daughters of Ogbomosho to wake up from their slunber and make their town a city.
He said: “So we have one town to develop. If we have the mind to work and we all decide that this town will not be like this. And the people that use to say if you go home (Awon aje ko si ni Ognomosho mo) no more witches in Gbomosho again. No more witches. Light has come.
“Let me say something, light is not the absence of darkness. It is darkness that is the absence of light.
“So what we have now, we have light in Ogbomosho. We have spiritual light in the town. And so it’s a new day, it’s a new beginning. And I don’t want anybody to be pessimistic.
“We might have tried this before. We are in a new dawn. And it is not just getting people excited. It is putting our hands on the plow and not looking back. It is a work that must be done.
“That is, in 25 years, we do not want Ogbomosho to be like any other town in the southwest, definitely not also in Nigeria. We want Ogbomosho to be at the forefront, to be the model town. To be used as the town that people will be saying,is your town like Ogbomosho.
“That’s what we set out to do. And that’s what will happen. I’m saying that that’s what will happen.
“If you are alive in 25 years, you will remember tonight that, and that king said so. Our town will not be like the neighboring towns, will not be like any other town. It’s going to be a model town that will be used as a standard of what a city should be.
“That’s where we’re going. And one of the things I discovered is that one of the most blessed and the indigens are all over the world.”
Speaking on the upcoming carnival, scheduled for December 19 to 24, Oba Olaoye said it is part of a larger initiative aimed at developing the town.
According to him, since ascending the throne of his forefathers, he has outlined a 25-year vision focused on the town’s growth and has established various committees to ensure
He said, “I have established various committees to oversee the development of our 25-year vision—one that the Lord has bestowed upon us. Our goal is to make Ogbomoso stand out, not just in the southwest but across Nigeria. We aim for it to be a model town, leading in progress and innovation. The carnival is one of the ways we can showcase our culture and bring development to Ogbomoso land.”
Because we want them to have a reason to come home. And let them come and see that home is not how they used to think about it. Home is not how they left it.
But there have been significant changes. And with the right leadership. One thing I’m going to promise every Ogbomoso son and daughter is that I will never make them to be shame of their town.I stand to tell you, I will always make you proud. I won’t be involved in any shaddy thing. I won’t be involved in anything that will bring down the name of the town “
Speaking at the event, a former Special Assistant to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, and Chairman of the Carnival Committee, Williams Adeleye, stated that Ogbomoso is on its way to becoming a tourist destination, as the carnival will provide an opportunity to showcase the town’s rich cultural heritage.
