As part of activities marking this year's Ile-Ife day, its City Development Board President, Prince Adeyemo Adeyera, has said the ancient city would soon have a taste of industrialisation in a project that would gulp N500 million. Speaking at a press conference in Ile-Ife, Adeyera added that this year’s event would feature some novel innovations, which is the industrialisation exercise that is billed to impact on the socio-economic status of the city. He said Ile-Ife being the cradle of the Yoruba race requires such project and therefore urged sons and daughters of the city to rededicate themselves by contributing to the capital intensive project. "If this dream is realised, Ile-Ife would have taken the first step in moving from being a natural capital of the Yoruba to an economic Eldorado," Adeyera explained. The development board president noted that in realising the rare feat, Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuade Okunade, has invested power and trust in the development board which he claimed assembles the cream of top professionals and technocrats as members of the planning committee for the event. He said "past effort to industrialise Ile-Ife with the setting up of Divisional Self Help Scheme in the early 60s had not produced desired results. Consequently, Kabiyesi, Ooni of Ife set up an Industrial and Human Resources Development Commission which produced an economic blueprint for the industrialisation. "It also identified an industrial zone and another electricity injection station to be located in Abata Ege, Ogudu Abiri area of Ile-Ife and another electricity injection station, beside Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex along Ilesa road," he stated.
Adeyera however informed that the money realised from the proposed fund raising would be used for the development of the industrial area and take off of the cottage industries. C hairman of Organising Committee of Ile-Ife Day celebration, Mr. Jide Elugbaji, has said plans are underway to industrialise the place usually described as the cradle of Ile-Ife is seen as the cradle and source of the Yoruba race, they wanted to see beyond that and make Ile-Ife the industrial Eldorado. “The plans to industrialise Ile-Ife date back to when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse 11 got to the throne. His vision for Ile-Ife goes beyond being the ancestral home of the Yoruba, beyond the source, the cradle or being the natural capital of the Yoruba nation. He has been working slowly but tirelessly towards achieving these goals. “Five years ago, he set up a committee to look at the industrial raw material around Ile-Ife and even within the whole western region including the mid-west. And this team christened the Industrial and Human Resources Development Commission came out with a blueprint of various industries that could be cited in Ile-Ife and there was a slowing down until this day. ctivities marking this year’s Ife Day celebration would kicks off next week Friday. According to the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Jide Elugbaji, the media were enjoined to support the people of Ile-Ife to make the event a memorable one. Elugbaju made this call when his committee visited to THISDAY Corporate Office in Apapa, Lagos. He said the committee cannot achieve anything without the involvement of the fourth estate of the realm, adding that they have come out to carry the media along during and after the launching and after. “We are to seek your support before we take off. Like I used to say, if a footballer succeeds it is because the media is behind him and if it is another way round, the press would play a leading role. So, we need you to be able to take off,” he noted. ìSo at this yearís we are launching 500 million Naira industrialisation funds. The reason for this huge amount of money is that if we have five various industries of 100 million Naira each, we have started somewhereî. This yearís celebration according to Mr. Elugbaju is going to involve mainly the our sons and daughters of Ife origin who are holding key positions in the Nigerian economy sectors. While answering question on strategies put in place to ensure that money realised on the day would be judiciously used, Mr. Elugbaju assured that the experienced and professional have been constituted into the management team to manage the fund, as accountability is the key to any successful entrepreneur. He also added that if the project is materialised, is not going to be restricted to the elites alone, but it would cut across the nooks and crannies of the entire city. And considering the crises that have engulfed the city in the recent past and the plans to reconcile the warring parties Chief Elugbaju said progress can only be achieved when there is peace and it is only after the warring factions have been rehabilitated and recon ciliated that they can achieve any meaningful development. Apart from the committee set up for reconciliation, everybody has now known that anything outside peace brings, sorrow, anguish, he concluded. The two days events which kicks off on November 10 will begin with an interdenominational service. This will be followed by a gala night during which the ìIfe Day Magazineî would be launched. Chief Oyetade is expected would be the chairman of the night, also, Olugbenga Owolabi is the chief launcher while Prince Segun Adeogun is going to be the special guest of honour And on Saturday, November 11, the grand finale would be led to the city stadium by Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade with the launching of the 500 million Naira industrial funds. And the chief guest of honour for the day is the Obafunminiyi of Ife, Governor Peter Odili, OBAT petroleum chieftain, Chief Akinduntan and the chief host is governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Eratus Akingbola, Chairman ,Intercontinental Bank amongst others are expected to grace the occasion.
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