- Next Year’s Event To Attract More Incentives – Head of Organising Committee, Hon Adekunle Dada
By Ralph Omololu Agbana.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security in charge of Yagba West Local Government, Tade Oshaloto has described the late Kogi West Zonal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon Stephen Ropo Asala, as a political icon who left behind beautiful legacy and men and women of great impact to maintain his legacy.
Oshaloto made the declaration on Monday as guest of honour at the grand finale of the maiden edition of the Ropo Asala Annual football competition, held at Titcombe College, Egbe.
The competition, which featured football teams from across Yagba West Local Government was part of activities marking the first anniversary of the departure of the late political icon, organised by Stephen Ropo Asala (SRA) Foundation.
At the final match played on the Titcombe College football pitch, and attended by a massive crowd, political and community leaders, Vessels Football Club, Egbe defeated co-finalists, Ejiba FC by a lone goal to lift the trophy.
In his address, Oshaloto extolled the virtues of Hon Ropo Asala saying those virtues were vividly clear to all with the way and manner those whose lives he impacted have carried on to immortalize his name, one year after.
He commended the children of the departed icon and the SRAF for putting up a wonderful event in honour of their parent and late benefactor and assured that government at the state and local level would interface with the foundation with the aim of enlarging the thresholds of the foundation in future engagement.
According to Oshaloto, “Hon Ropo Asala must be happy wherever he is now because a man has not truly lived until he is able to leave behind people who can maintain his legacy. And I tell you the truth that Hon Ropo Asala has left behind men and women of great impact”.
He added, “I am proud to identify with these people and I pray that the beautiful legacy that the our late political icon has left behind will tower so high and so wide. And I want to challenge the young people that are here, I don’t want you to forget and I want you to keep it in mind that the skies are our limit. About 20 years ago I left this school where we toiled against the future unknown but today to God’s glory, the suffering of the past is beginning to yield good fruits.
“I want to assure you that everyone of us here will be partakers of the good fruits. With the beautiful soccer artistry on display tonight, I have no doubts that amongst us here we shall see great footballers to make the nation proud internationally, amongst us here we shall see doctors, engineers, lawyers, judges, presidents and governors, VCs of universities, rectors and captains of industries in Jesus name.
“I want to assure you that whatever is possible as the responsibility of government, God helping us, we want to assure you that the resources will be evenly and equitably distributed. I want to assure the organisers of this event that the state executive will interface with you to see to how we can enlarge and expand the thresholds of the Stephen Ropo Asala Foundation as soon as possible.
“Personally, as an appointee of Governor Yahaya Bello and on behalf of the Security Community of Yagba West Local Government, I am pledging to this August Assembly something very reasonable within the limits of available resources. I must not leave here without recognising our leaders present and not present, whatever God has destined for all of us will reach us in Jesus name, and when God must have given us what he intends to give us, He will give us long life and good health and prosper our individual families. Thank you and God bless you all.”
Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Hon Adekunle Dada thanked invited guests for honouring Hon Ropo Asala and rising to the occasion to immortalize “our political leader and mentor”, with a caveat that “the foundation has no political undertones”.
Hon Adekunle Dada, a former National Assembly aide and ex-Special Adviser, Yagba West Local Government, however commended the finalists and other participants in the healthy football competition for giving their best with the assurance that next year’s event would attract better incentives.
He commended the children of the late Hon Ropo Asala, home and abroad for their support to the foundation, saying the children’s support for the activities of the Foundation can not be overe emphasized.
One of the guests, Hon Ibikunle Idowu, a chairmanship aspirant to Yagba West Council, made a personal donation of N15,000 each to the two finalists, Vessels Football Club of Egbe and Ejiba FC.
In his goodwill message conveyed by the chairman of the Organizing Committee, Hon Adekunle Dada, erstwhile Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor, Project Monitoring, Engr Toba Adebayo, who was unavoidably absent, said he identified with the SRA Foundation in its bold move to enliven the legacy of Hon Ropo Asala.
He commended the organisers for demonstrating that their loyalty to the late Hon Ropo Asala was not only to the living but after life.
Hon Toba Adebayo added, “by your action, you have truly defined loyalty. I encourage you to keep the pace. I salute the children Hon Ropo Asala left behind for ensuring that they immortalise the patriarch. I pray that The Lord keeps you together”.
