Leadership, at its core, is not only measured by vision but also by the ability to respond decisively and compassionately in times of crisis.
In January 2023, a heart-wrenching natural disaster struck IIare-Ijesa, a historically rich and culturally significant town in Obokun Local Government Area, ljesaland.
A devastating rainstorm swept through the community on Friday, 29th January 2023, leaving a trail of destruction, unroofing homes, damaging schools and churches, collapsing buildings, and displacing families.
In the face of this calamity, many communities would have waited indefinitely for government support. But Ilare-ljesa had the advantage of being part of a united and forward-looking Community structure, the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) and more importantly, of having at the helm of its affairs a visionary, compassionate, and responsive leader in the Asiwaju of ljesaland, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi.
What followed in the days and weeks after the disaster was a masterclass in grassroots mobilization, responsive governance, and transparent community intervention, an inspiring story of how NI7 million was raised, accounted for, and disbursed within weeks to restore dignity and hope to the victims of the Ilare-Ijesa rainstorm disaster.
The tragedy that Shook Ilare-Ijesa
The rainstorm that hit Ilare-ljesa on that fateful Friday was one of unprecedented magnitude. The violent winds uprooted trees, downed electric poles, destroyed rooftops., and flattened houses.
The once serene town was transformed into a scene of anguish, with residents weeping over their lost properties and uncertain futures.
Households were affected.
Key institutions, including schools, churches, and mosques, suffered structural damage. Livelihoods were destroyed overnight.
In the aftermath of the storm, despair loomed large, and the people of Ilare-Ijesa looked inward, hoping that their cry would reach those who could help. That hope was not misplaced.
Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi : Leading with Empathy and Speed
Afolabi, Asiwaju, Oba Adejoro Otebolaku, Owalare, Mr Fabunmi, Prince Seyi Lufadeju, Wale Idowu
True leadership is best revealed in moments of distress. Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, already widely respected across Ijesaland for his instrumental roles in the construction of the Ultra-modern Owa Obokun Palace and the N1 Billion ljesa Geriatric Centre, once again rose to the occasion.
Asiwaju, together with the ICDA leadership, swiftly initiated steps to assess the situation on ground and mobilize support.
What stood out was the speed and structure of the response: Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi made a public appeal to all ljesas home and abroad to come together in solidarity, to support their brothers and sisters in Ilare-ljesa. His appeal was deeply touching and firm in tone:
"We must not look away while a part of us bleeds. Ilare is ljesaland, and the pain of Ilare is the pain of all of us. Let us stand up and respond, not with words, but with meaningful action."
This impassioned call ignited a groundswell of compassion.
N17 Million Raised in Record Time: A Testament to Ijesa Unity
In a mater of weeks, the ICDA under the strategic leadership and guidance of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi successfully raised over N17 million. The donations came from a diverse and united group of well-meaning illustrious ljesa individuals, families, and organizations:
ljesa Sons and Daughters in Nigeria and the diaspora
• Professional and social associations
Religious institutions Community-based clubs
• Retired and serving civil servants
What set this fundraising effort apart was the unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability. Every donation, whether small or large, was recorded, acknowledged, and published, thereby reinforcing the trust and credibility that the ICDA had built under Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi's leadership.
The N17 million raised was not just about the money, it was a symbol of hope, a reminder that the spirit of communal support and solidarity was alive and thriving in ljesaland.
Saturday, 4th March 2023: A Day of Restoration
VIDEO: click on the image to watch
VIDEO: click on the image to watch
On Saturday, 4th March 2023, the ICDA, led by Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi and the ICDA Chairman, convened a major community event at Ilare-Ijesa. It was a day that marked the official disbursement of the N17 million relief fund to the affected victims.
In the cause of disbursement of the fund, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi reiterated that the support was not a gift, but a duty owed to fellow Ijesas in distress. He emphasized that no segment of Ijesaland would be left behind, and no citizen's cry would be ignored under his watch as the Asiwaju of Ijesaland.
Tears flowed freely. Prayers were offered. Songs of gratitude filled the air. Ilare-Ijesa, once drowned in sorow, was now alight with hope.
Setting a New Standard for Community Responsiveness
The Ilare-ljesa rainstorm intervention has gone down in ljesaland's history as a landmark response model. It redefined how a community can take ownership of its welfare, bypassing the often slow-moving bureaucratic processes of the government to deliver swift, accountable, and people-centered results.
Key highlights of this intervention include:
Speed of response: From disaster to disbursement in just five weeks
• Transparency: Full disclosure of donor lists and fund disbursement
Community ownership: Ijesas everywhere took pride in the initiative
By placing people at the center of development, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi has once again proven his unmatched capacity for transformational leadership.
Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi : The Epitome of Vision and Compassion
This outstanding gesture in Ilare-ljesa is part of a growing legacy of service, vision, and people-oriented leadership that Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi has consistently delivered across ljesaland.
His resume of achievements includes:
Spearheading the construction of the Ultra-modern Owa Obokun Palace
Mobilizing over N1 Billion for the Ijesa Geriatric Centre
Driving youth empowerment through agriculture and enterprise
Championing transparent fundraising and social accountability
Each project, each initiative, and each intervention reflects a deep love for Ijesaland, an unshakable belief in the potential of its people, and a tireless commitment to leaving ljesaland far better than he met it.
A Case Study in Responsive and Accountable Leadership
The success of the Ilare-Ijesa Rainstorm Relief Project is more than an isolated achievement. It is a powerful case study in the effectiveness of community-based leadership, and an affirmation that with visionary leadership like that of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, even the most daunting challenges can be overcome.
In times when many communities remain paralyzed in the wake of natural disasters, ljesaland stood up, responded, and restored hope, thanks to the unwavering leadership of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi and the structure of the ICDA.
The N17 million disbursed to Ilare-ljesa is not only a financial intervention, it is a symbol ofbcompassion, a message of unity, and a promise kept.
Indeed, when leadership meets compassion, communities rise.
RELEVANT STORIES:
Owalare of Ilare-Ijesa makes case for his community ravaged by storm
Devastating Aftermath of Windy Storm: Ijesa Leaders Make Sympathy Visit to Ilare-ijesa
"Bad things do happen in the world, like war, natural disasters, disease. But out of those situations always arise stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things."- Daryn Kagan
Ilare-Ijesa community of Obokun South LCDA in Osun State, Nigeria is the hardest hit, from the brunt of windy storm, of 27th January, 2023, tearing houses off foundations, destroying iconic community project, uprooting trees and turning the streets into chaos.
The storm in a 25 – minute downpour besieged the community and roved round the streets around 6.00 p.m. on Friday and vandalized some unquantifiable valuables.
The destroyed properties including Police Station, Churches, Shops and residential buildings.
A major catastrophic incidence was the collapse of an ultra-modern Civic Center, a Community Development Self-help Project built by indigenes of the Community, located along Esa-Odo road, Ilare.
The project was the self-help project which the community started about Eight years ago, under the banner of Ilare Development Association (IDA).
From health care and housing to food supplies and clothing, relief efforts will be immense, with calls for aid initiated by His Royal Majesty, Oba Adejoro Otebolaku, the Owalare of Ilare-Ijesa in Kakakioodua online news publication of January 31st, 2023 that went viral.
The Ijesa Development Council's (IDC) WhatsApp platform was among those groups that read our publication.
Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, the Asiwaju of Ijesaland organized a sympathy visit and assessment of the degree of the potential damage particularly to the N100m community civic centre, the self-help project which the community started about Eight years ago, under the banner of Ilare Development Association (IDA) when he drove to the community with Chief Afolabi Igbaroola, Mr. Wale Idowu and Prince Seyi Lufadeju on Sunday February 5th, 2023, where he remarked that the entire Ijesa people will unite to help the community.
In past relief efforts, the IDC has initiated and carried out relief efforts to places such as Ijebujesa, Ibokun to aid during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping residents with palliatives and to maintain their regular health care regimens, like free supply of facemasks and hand sanitizers.
Asiwaju initiated a plan on the IDC WhatsApp platform under then "ILARE-IJESA SUPPORT FUND" where he made clarion call on Royal Fathers; esteemed Ijesa Compatriots in Nigeria and the diaspora, Ijesa Societies and Clubs that raised in all, a total sum of N16,616,267.89 (Sixteen Million, Six Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty-Seven Naira, Eighty-Nine Kobo) in three weeks.
Kakaki Oodua Online Media coverage was today at the presentation og the cheque at the Owa Obokun Adimula Palace.
VIDEO: click on the image to watch
HRM Oba (Engr.) Moses Oluwafemi Agunsoye
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