The various developmental community-based activities of renowned Islamic Cleric and erudite scholar, who is also the Mogaji Ogunelu Aare Alaasa of Oja’ba in Ibadan, Prof. Engr. Sabitu Ariyo Olagoke were on Wednesday commended by the Olubadan of Ibadanland Oba Sen. Lekan Balogun Alli Okunmade II at his Alarere residence.
Oba Balogun gave the commendation during the visit of the former Senior Lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State to the Alarere residence of the Olubadan during which he gifted the Royal Father a royal chair which he (Olagoke) described as the proverbial child’s food (ounje omo).
In a press statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by the Personal Assistant to the Olubadan on Media, Oladele Ogunsola, Prof. Olagoke who is the founder and Spiritual Leader of Shafaudeen-in-Islam was described as a thorough-bred humanist, whose concern for the downtrodden is worthy of emulation.
According to Olubadan in the press statement, “I’m fascinated by your various welfare programmes aimed at improving the well-being of our people. Should all our Mogajis in Ibadanland take after you, our story today would be totally different. I commend you and appreciate your good gestures with a prayer that our ancestors will not abandon you. I also thank you profusely for the presentation of the new chair and pray for more blessings in all your undertakings”.
Earlier, Prof. Olagoke had said that all Chiefs should ask for which purpose were they made Chiefs, stressing that “it is only when this question is being sincerely answered and given genuine answers that whatever Olubadan is doing can be effective and efficient.
“Being Mogaji has the socio-political power responsibility and they have to live in consciousness of feeding Olubadan back on what they are doing in their respective domains to justify this responsibility. I’m happy to inform Your Imperial Majesty that I have been trying my possible best to uplift my people since I became the Mogaji last year.
“When I visited my family compound as a Mogaji, what I saw was befuddling and I took the bull by the horns and by the grace of the Almighty Allah, I rebuilt the ancient hall which used to serve as a court of my progenitors to the admiration of all. In addition to that, I have raised youths who had volunteered to empower the jobless ones around to reduce the incidence of thuggery and other vices”, he added.
Olagoke also explained that some of the women desirous of empowerment in the compound had been captured by his programme in his own little way. He disclosed that he would not relent doing his best for his people, asking the monarch to drum such activities to the hearing of other Mogajis for the upliftment of Ibadanland.
