- Elders recall hardship, leaders urge youth to sustain legacy as Takete-Ide marks 100 years since leaving hilltop settlement
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has announced funding to complete the Takete-Ide Town Hall and said the community’s access road was being assessed for repair. He made the announcement at the grand finale of the community’s centenary celebration, which marked 100 years since its people left their hilltop settlement to found a new town.
Ododo was represented at the event by the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Aliyu Umar Yusuf. The governor said engineers were already assessing the Takete-Ide road for costing, though he gave no figure for the town hall funds or a timeline for either project.
The multi-day celebration drew indigenes, traditional rulers, government officials and well-wishers from around the world. Activities included a thanksgiving service, a novelty football match, free medical outreach, cultural displays and the unveiling of a community development trust.
In a message delivered by Yusuf, Ododo praised residents for the sacrifices, courage and spirit of self-help that laid the foundation for the town’s growth. He said its achievements showed the value of unity, collective responsibility and purposeful leadership, and urged other communities to follow its example.
“My administration remains committed to the development of communities across Kogi State through investments in education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, rural infrastructure, security and economic empowerment,” the governor said.
He also asked traditional rulers, community leaders, youths and women to cooperate with security agencies by giving credible and timely intelligence on suspicious movements and activities through appropriate channels.
Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the state commissioner for information and communications and chairman of the central planning committee, said the centenary should be more than a celebration of the past. He said it should inspire young people to build a future of greater peace, unity and prosperity, and urged residents to preserve their forebears’ values while seizing opportunities for the next century.
Richard Dare Fiki, national chairman of the Takete-Ide Progressive Union (TIPU), called the 100 years since the relocation a remarkable milestone that had brought visible development and sustained peace. He urged residents to uphold accountability, commitment and collective responsibility as they pursue further projects.
Fiki also thanked Ododo’s administration for interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and civil servants’ welfare, saying Takete-Ide was among the communities benefiting.
Earlier in the programme, community elders shared oral histories of how their forebears coped with the hardships of the early years, including slavery. They also described how the settlers built the community’s first schools through communal labour and gradually turned Takete-Ide into a modern settlement.
In the novelty match, TIPU beat the Takete-Ide Student Union (TISU) 3-1. Fanwo scored twice, both from penalty kicks. Free medical tests and treatment were offered during the celebration.
The finale ended with the conferment of chieftaincy titles on several prominent people in recognition of their contributions to the community’s development.
