Oyo town was in frenzy over the weekend as the lawmaker representing AFIJIO, Atiba, Oyo East, Oyo West federal constituency, Prince Akeem Adeyemi marked his 45th birthday with an empowerment ceremony.
Skimeh, as the two-term lawmaker and son of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo, is fondly called had clocked 45 on December 8, 2021 but decided to mark it on Saturday.
At the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, venue of the event, 225 people went home with laptops and cash gifts. Forty five people went home with a laptop each after an ICT training while 180 people — people living with disabilities, party leaders, women and men, went home with cash gift.
The young prince, while speaking about his motivation for putting smiles on his people’s faces, explained that he would have thrown a big party in Abuja with his colleagues and friends decided to come home because he has promised that every occasion of his birthday will be service to humanity, especially the less-privileged among.
He reminded the audience how, in November, 30 Oyo youths were sponsored to a training programme in Lagos on photography, cake making cosmetology. He added that “they were not only trained but were adequately empowered with relevant materials and cash as startups for their businesses.”
“Also, since Monday, this week, twenty (20) Oyo youths were sponsored to Federal College of Fishery and Marine Technology in Lagos for training in modern methods of fishery. Again, they were not only trained, but they were given empowerment materials and cash.
“Ladies and gentlemen, since last week’s Monday, another twenty Oyo youths were camped at the University of Ibadan Hotels for a Nigerian Communications Commission training on ICT. Yesterday, Friday, 10th December, 2021, the programme was rounded off and all the trainees were given a startup capital and a laptop each to ease their business plans.”
The former council chairman said that all his programmes are geared towards capacity building among the teeming population of Oyo youths, adding that “the sole purpose of our engagement is to be build a virile constituency, where our people will be financially independent and economically buoyant. The era of taking our youths for granted is gone. The ugly incident of EndSARS protest is a clear attestation and manifestation to the fact that our youths are disenchanted. They need job. They need money. They need all the basic necessities of life. We need not pretend that everything is well with them.”
Apart from Oba Adeyemi, prominent stakeholders who graced the event included Chief Imam of Oyo, Sheikh Moshood Ajokidero, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, Dr. Yunus Akintunde, who is eyeing the Oyo Central senatorial seat, members of the Oyo Assembly — Hon. Asimiyu Alarape, Hon. Kazeem Arole; his sister and former commissioner for commerce — Taibah Adeyemi-Agaba, party leaders and members, religious and community leaders.
Alaafin, who also spoke on the occasion, expressed delight in the development of human capital which, he said, has been the hallmark of the lawmaker.
