By Precious Ireoluwa
The indigenes of Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State, have demonstrated their collective will and strong determination to turnaround existing infrastructural facilities and put in place new ones to give a facelift to the community and raise its status as the third largest and most populated town in the state. The community decided to chart an inward approach to realize this noble objective.
With its array of intellectuals and other classes of individuals that cut across diverse areas of human endeavours living in different parts of the globe the initiative became an attainable one.
The community took the challenge based on the last population census midwifed by the National Population Commission,NPC, and affirmed by the National Bureau of Statistics,NBS,that Ilawe-Ekiti, a strategically located community lacks many important socio-economic and infrastructural facilities among which are befitting and well-equipped medical facilities to match its standard. The people believe that government at all levels cannot do it alone.
Sons and daughters of the ancient town at home and in the diaspora including friends and well-wishers came from far and wide for the 2024 celebration of the town,” Ilawe Unity Day”.They massed up at the Ekiti State Institute For Local Government Administration, Ilawe-Ekiti, venue of the event to contribute to the launch of a #500 million Community Support for the take off of the Teaching Hospital Annex sited in town and allied developmental goals of the community. The traditional ruler, Oba Ajibade Alabi and his chiefs were on hand to grace the occasion. It was a gathering devoid of being turned into a speech-making day which is usually a commonplace at events of such nature.
After the Chairman of the occasion, Barrister Femi Bankole set the tone by welcoming guests and thanking God for making the day a reality with a favourable weather. When the microphone got to the hands of the man assigned for the fund-raising, Mr Dipo Ajayi, he went straight to business and millions began to flow with the Chief Launcher, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and the Senate Spokesman, an indigene of the town, Senator Yemi Adaramodu being the highest donors. Barrister Femi Falana, S.A.N and the wife, D.I.G Abiodun Alabi and many others preferred to keep amount of their donations secret with the promise to reach out.
The monarch of the town, His Royal Majesty, Oba Alabi appreciated his subjects for the impressive turnout and support for the success in the occasion. He remarked that during his era some federal outfits such as the Federal College of Education, High Court Complex, Magistrate Court, Federal Teaching Hospital, General Hospital and others were established. Also the construction of access roads that link the community with its neighbours.
He commended indigenes of the town who facilitated the projects.