The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has presented the Staff of Office and Instrument of Appointment to the newly crowned Oba Babatunde Adebowale Muideen Balogun as the 1st Onisolu of Solu Alade Kingdom in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government.
Making the presentation at Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, the Governor remarked that the presentation to the Monarch resulted from the upgrade of the Baale Stool to Obaship after passing through all the due process from the Local Government.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the installation ceremony by the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Dr. Wale Ahmed, enjoined the sons and daughters of the kingdom to support the new Monarch in preserving the sanctity of the stool.
“I urge you to give unalloyed support to the new Monarch in order to enable him to continue to safeguard the sanctity of this sacred and highly reserved institution,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The Governor further enjoined the new Oba to see the institution of traditional Obaship as a development partner with the State government in bringing about communal peace and social development.
In his words: “Let me remind you that the institution of traditional Obaship in our society, regardless of the advent of modernism, remains a rallying point for the generality of our people and it has been serving as a veritable vehicle for the dissemination of Government policies and programmes for the mobilisation of the people. As a custodian of the culture and tradition of the people, you should be seen as a rallying point for the maintenance of communal peace and social development”.
He, however, implored the youths, elders and entire residents of Solu-Alade Community to shun violence, cultism and embrace peace, while urging them to guide jealously, the infrastructures provided by the government in their community and be alive to their civic responsibilities, saying it is by so doing, that government would be able to sustain the socio-economic growth and ongoing transformation being witnessed in the State.
In his acceptance speech, Oba Babatunde Balogun appreciated the Lagos State Government for presenting him the staff of office and instrument of appointment, asserting that the gesture demonstrated sterling leadership by Governor Sanwo-Olu.
He applauded the tireless efforts of the Governor in the provision of infrastructural facilities across the five divisions of the State, imploring the government to provide more infrastructures that would open up coastal roads in Ibeju-Lekki as well as a Primary Healthcare Centre and Public Schools for the Solu-Alade Community.
JH/TMD/OS
