With the current spate of self-help developmental projects happening in Ijesaland today, there’s no better time to celebrate the person who originated this intellectual and well coordinated movement.
It can be hard to ascribe a sole person as the progenitor of what gave birth to the N250m Ultra-modern Palace of Owa Obokun Adimula, the most modern N1b Geriatric Centre, the University of Ilesa and much more.
The sheer awe of what the reaction of other contributors would be if one person is singularly pointed out, made Kakakioodua to tread with caution on this seemingly delicate investigative compilation.
But in a relay race, which is a team work, priority goes to the athlete who has a good start, can run the first difficult bend and then pass the baton.
So the question this article set to unravel is who is the man at the first leg of this relay race at galvanizing and mobilizing all Ijesha sons and daughters in prosecuting this developmental agenda that has continually promote the cause of Ijeshaland since 2019?
Saturday, October 22, 2016, the Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Oba (Dr.) Gabriel Adekunle Aromoloran II ( CFR, LL.D), officially conferred the chieftaincy titles of Asiwaju and Yeye Asiwaju of ijesaland on the renowned workaholic, international management consultants, Yinka Fasuyi and his wife Bisi Fasuyi and the palace of Owa Obokun Adimula received dignitaries across the globe from all sectors of the economy to grace the epoch occasion.
Baffled and puzzled by the unprecedented array of dignitaries at the installation, Owa Obokun seized the occasion to publicly charge the newly installed Asiwaju to put in place the pathways for the provision of a befitting Owa Obokun Adimula palace and the establishment of a University that had eluded the town for years.
Thereafter, the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) was birthed informally on Sunday 15th December, 2019 at the Ilesa residence of Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi who initiated the body.
Present at the maiden meeting were:
1. Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi :
Convener
2. Chief Akinwande Akinola
(Baba Sawe)
3. Prince Lowo Adebiyi
4. Engr Busayo Aluko
5. Chief Afolabi Igbaroola
6. Chief (Mrs) Dupe Ajayi Gbadebo
7. Chief Oladiran Fasuyi
It was at this maiden meeting that the Proposal, Plans, and Strategies for the construction of the new Owa Obokun Adimula Palace as conceived by Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi were presented to the meeting that formed THE 2020 NEW PALACE PROJECT COMMITTEE.
Faced with the previous failed attempt to embark on similar project about a decade ago, the committee focused on the way forward in actualizing the dream project.and consequently mobilized notable Ijesa Sons and Daughters towards building a new functional and befitting palace within one year. Precisely, it was the desire of the committee to commission the new palace before year 2020 Iwude Ijesa Festival.and the Ultra-modern Palace of Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland was completed and commissioned on Saturday, 26th December 2020 with financial contributions from 101 Ijesa Individuals.
This singular achievement signified the birth of a Renewed Ijesa Development Awareness.
The second Project initiated on Saturday, 30th January 2021 by Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) was the N1B (One Billion Naira) Ijesaland Geriatric Centre which was completed and commissioned on Thursday, 31st March 2022 financed by 124 Individual Donors; 20 Family Living Legends; 11 Corporate Donors; 6 Platinum Donors; and 62 Equipment Shipment Donors.
The need to formalise the handing over of the Geriatric Centre to the Management of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) informed the official registration of Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on Friday, 13th May, 2022.
The Ijesaland Geriatric Centre was formally handed over under the name of Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) on Thursday, 30th June 2022 to the OAUTHC, Ile-Ife for its day to day operations and management.
Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) registered as a Corporate member with the apex body, Ijesa Development Council (IDC) in September 2022.
Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) embarked on its third project of midwifing the establishment of the University of Ilesa. A process started on Wednesday, 10th April 2019; publicly presented on Saturday, 26th December 2020; Strategised with the inauguration of University Project Consultative Committee (UPCC) on Sunday, 18th April 2021; formal presentation of University Establishment Proposal to the former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on Friday, 6th August 2021; publicly proclamation and announcement of the birth of University of Ilesa on Thursday, 31st March 2022; passing of the University Bill by Osun State House of Assembly on Monday, 8th August 2022; signing the University Bill into Law by former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on Tuesday, 27th September 2022; receiving the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the 60th State University and 220th University in Nigeria on Thursday, 10th November 2022; and culminating in a Thank You visit to the Governor by all the Traditional Rulers, Ijesa Leaders, and Societies led by His Imperial Majesty Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Oba (Dr) Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, CFR, LL.D on Wednesday, 23rd November 2022.
Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) initiated its fourth project on Sunday, 5th February 2023 when it responded to Ilare-Ijesa Environmental Disaster through ILARE-IJESA RELIEF SUPPORT FUND PROJECT by mobilising 182 Ijesa Individuals and 16 Ijesa Societies to donate a sum of N16,616,267:89 on Friday 1st March 2023 to Ilare-Ijesa Community in showing solidarity towards rehabilitation of its social infrastructure damaged by the windstorm of Friday, 27th January, 2023.
Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) embarked on its fifth development intervention on Saturday, 10th June 2023 by initiating the educational empowerment of our Youths through the establishment of a Sponsorship Scheme for 250 Students of Ijesaland origin at FSTC, Ilesa to empower them with life enriching Vocational Skills.
Find below Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi’s paper on Owa’s Palace Project Concept, a projected compilations of instructions, rules and plans that were carried out in every detail that propelled, reagitated and awakened the confidence of Ijesa sons and daughters at contributing financially to Ijesa Development Agenda.
PREMISE:
The consensus of all meaningful Ijesa Sons and Daughters is that a new functional palace befitting the paramount monarch in Ijesaland , Owa Obokun Adimula is not only a paramount need but also expeditiously desired.
To say that the palace of Owa Obokun Adimula represents the face and image with which every Ijesa is perceived would amount to an understatement. The palace, being the symbol of our common heritage through which the general public appraise, relate and mirror the socio-culture, tradition and value of every Ijesa person both at home and in the diaspora.
JUSTIFICATION:
THE 2020 NEW PALACE PROJECT COMMITTEE is not unaware of the previous bold attempt to embark on similar project about a decade ago.
The prayer of this committee to all prospective partakers in this new attempt is to allow history attend to the past, while this committee focuses on the way forward in actualising the dream project.
This committee intends to deploy its goodwill in mobilising notable Ijesa Sons and Daughters towards building a new functional and befitting palace within one year. Precisely, it is the desire of this committee to commission the new palace before year 2020 Iwude Ijesa Festival.
METHODOLOGY:
Stated below are the strategies the committee intends to put in place for a transparent, accountable and timetious completion of the project.
DONORS:
The committee plans to identify and reach out to between 50 and 100 Ijesa Sons and Daughters who share in this objective. The minimum donation expected from each individual is a sum of =N=1 million (one million naira ) only.
There is no ceiling to the maximum an individual could contribute.
There shall be monthly financial reporting and documentation of all transactions to all stakeholders.
A target of =N=100,000,000 (One Hundred Million naira) only is determined to be raised. All donors towards this project shall have their names permanently inscribed on the building project as a mark of their respective recognition. Committee members paying minimum of =N= 1 million (One million naira) could be paid in two instalments but all pledges would be fully redeemed by the end of June, 2020.
CONSULTANCY SERVICES AND REWARD SYSTEM.
Key consultancy services in a project like this would require the following experts;
The Architect
The Structural Engineer
The Quantity Surveyor
The Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
In a normal setting, professional fees usually charged ranges around 5% for each of the services. So, for the four consultancy services would be coming to about 20% of the total cost of project.
The project Committee plans to save the whole cost so that we can dedicate all money realised to the actual project execution. The committee would reach out to as many as possible renowned and highly professional and competent Ijesas and Non-Ijesa friends to offer all these services probono. Such services would include both their respective design and supervision.
The competitively evaluated and selected consultants who would work on the project would be rewarded and recognised with another set of permanent inscription of their respective names somewhere in the palace.
With this arrangement, we would be saving substantial amount of money which would be ploughed back into the project execution.
BUILDING WORKS CONTRACTING.
By the time this committee is done with the selection of the best and most appropriate architectural drawing and the architect, the drawing would be forwarded to a minimum of three independent Quantity Surveyors to submit their respective Bill of Quantity (BOQ). For the purpose of transparency and accountability, a common submission date shall be given to the shortlisted contractors and the QS for evaluation and appraisal of their submissions.
This process would forestall any compromise on the integrity of the exercise.
SELECTION OF CONTRACTOR.
The committee will advertise with a quarter page (black and white) advert in a regional Newspaper for competent, experienced, with excellent performance track records contractors to express interest.
All shortlisted contractors would be expected to show adequate evidence of previous jobs and certificates of satisfactory completion.
The committee would as a matter of importance verify through physical visits and interviews with such clients.
At the end of the exercise, the committee should be able to secure the services of the best hands for the job.
ELEMENTS OF TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE CONTRACTOR.
One of the major challenges usually encountered in building construction is the joint issue of price and cost variation which if not properly managed could scuttle the project completion.
It is a common knowledge that so many projects today in the country have become abandoned largely arising from the crisis of price and cost variation.
In this project, the committee would thoroughly scrutinize the various stages that are usually accounted for this. Usually, the starting point is in the architectural Designs and Drawings which in most cases lack in minute details on specifications of quality and quantity of materials and input to be used. The provisional financial figures provided by the QS based on these inadequacies from the Architectural drawings are the usual origins of financial variations.
The committee would not only ensure that all consultants drawings are very clear, unambiguous, detailed and transparent in materials specification but would also put in place a carefully drafted legal and binding contract terms of reference that forbids all manners of price and cost variations.
The committee would also strive on its part to strictly adhere to the contractual payment cash flow system agreed with the contractor in order not to give room for the breach of the contracts of agreement by the contractor likewise.
GOVERNMENT STATUTORY APPROVAL FEES.
The committee intends to meet with all relevant statutory government officials to waive all approval fees for all drawings that we may encounter in the course of the project implementation. The goal here is to further save cost.
SECURING LAND FOR THE PROJECT.
The committee will liase with the Imperial Majesty, Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland to secure a virgin land for this new project within the vast palace premises.
PROJECT MONITORING & EVALUATION TEAM.
A team of formidable professional in civil engineering, structural engineering, mechanical & electrical engineering, Quantity surveying and other stakeholders would be constituted by the committee to do a periodic monitoring and evaluation of the project along the work schedules and deliverables.
A monthly report would be shared with all stakeholders.
PROJECT DURATION/TIMELINE.
JANUARY 2020
SENSITISATION & FUNDS MOBILISATION
FEBRURAY 2020
ADVERT/TENDER/ BIDDING/EVALUATION/AWARD OF CONTRACT
MARCH – NOVEMBER 2020
CONSTRUCTION
DECEMBER 2020 : PROJECT COMMISSIONING
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM/ACCOUNTS OPENING.
The project account shall be opened with the following signatories:
Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi
Chief Adebiyi Adelowo
Chief Afolabi Igbaroola
Engr. Busayo Aluko
Any two of the four signatories shall validate the account.
All disbursements would follow the agreed schedule of payments after receiving the stage by stage job verification/assessment certificates from the appointed Quantity surveyor.
REPORTING.
Periodic reports shall be disseminated to all stakeholders on monthly basis to keep all abreast of project progress.
OUR PRAYER
You have been identified as one of the illustrious Ijesas whose sacrifice of part of your God’s endowed resources is required to bequeath a beautiful palace to our paramount monarch.
We sincerely trust that we can merit your confidence by joining hands in the execution of this lofty project for our dear community.
Won’t you rather sign in today?
May the Almighty God continue to bless you and your dear family as you decide!
ASIWAJU YINKA FASUYI
The Asiwaju of Ilesa
The Balogun of Ijebujesa
12th December, 2019
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