…honours distinguished indigenes
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Chairman of Ijebu Professional Excellence Foundation, Engr Segun Mafe has called on sons and daughters of the land both at home and in diaspora to rededicate themselves to expanding frontiers of socio-economic development of Ijebu land.
Engr Segun Mafe disclosed that Ijebuland should benefit the more from its abundant and blessed professionals who are doing so well across the world.
Engr Mafe made this call on Thursday while speaking during the 2022 annual Ijebu Professional Excellence Foundation Merit Award held at Ijebu Ode.
The Chairman said that the annual merit award held last in 2018 was suspended in 2019 due to the demise of the founder of the group and initiator of the award, Dr Oladipupo Abiodun Bailey while that of 2020 and 2021 was also not held due to Covid-19 pandemic and the attendant disruptions across the globe.
He disclosed that the 23 nominees selected for this year award had been adjudged to have been outstanding and excelled in their chosen fields.
Mafe said that the group which was founded in 2009 is using the platform of the award to celebrate hardwork, excellence and genuine contributions to humanity among Ijebu indigenes hoping that by so doing, the award would not have only encouraged the awardees to do more but also set them as standard and role models for others to emulate.
He has therefore challenged the awardees to keep flying very high flags of excellence in their various chosen careers while also not forgetting to deploy their abundant resources back home to further contribute to the socio-economic development of Ijebu land.
Mafe revealed that parts of the objectives of the group include bringing together professionally qualified sons and daughters of Ijebu land for networking and provision of employment, raising fund for scholarship among others efforts devoted to development of Ijebu land, Ogun State and the country at large.
Rejoicing with the awardees, the Chairman of the occasion, Otunba F O Arowolo, Co-founder and Joint Chairman, ARON Nigeria Ltd, lauded the group for being at the vanguard of according due honour to accomplished Ijebus maintaining that the efforts would no doubt inspire the awardees to do so much more and of course join hands with others to develop further Ijebu land.
Some of the awardees are Hon Tunde Oladunjoye, Chairman, Board of Directors, Ogun State Television, Hon Iretiolu Adenugba, Vice Chairman, Odogbolu local government, Mr Seye Kehinde, Publisher, City People, Prof. Bankole Okowa, Prof Oladele Surajudeen Gazal, Arc Tokunbo Fowode, former Rector, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, (MAPOLY) Ojere, Abeokuta among others.