good friend of mine recently gave me a Royal invitation to the gathering of Ondo State Association of Atlanta. Since the invitation came from the Royal domicile, I got myself fully geared toward meeting the Royalties and the possibility of dancing to the tune of King Sunny Ade. I doubled my preparation for the leisure of the year meeting with all my majestic beads all over my dress, with the Horse Tail a Chieftaincy symbol, to match, to meet with Princes, Princesses, and Kings, heavy drumming, and praise singing. I made sure I got there at the given time, with the absence of 'African Time'. heavy drumming, and praise singing. I made sure I got there at the given time, with the absence of 'African Time'.

advertisement

When we arrived at the venue, there was a complete silence. At the gathering were a group of Professionals at the business roundtable paying no attention to my glitzy ingress. All the drumming and singing disappeared to the wiry air. The group was at the crest of a discussion, about the Ondo State Youth. I sat down unwearyingly and with my mouth delivering the saliva to cool off the intensive heat in the meeting room paying full attention to the discussion.

At that point, I carefully removed my imperial beads, kept away the Horse Tail, and took off my big Agbada. Then, there was a loud gesticulation from the members in appreciation of my presence and my acceptance of the invitation. When I asked about King Sunny Ade, in unison, they responded that since his 'retirement' there has not been much OWAMBE with Ondo State Association of Atlanta. Shikena!

While the discussion about the Ondo State Youth continued, we were served with water, soda, finger food and fruits so that no one would fall asleep during the meeting. The Association is demonstrating to Ondo State Youth their love for them, and to "embrace their struggles, challenge their thoughts and above all celebrate their achievements."

The Ondo State Association of Atlanta President, Rufus J. Oladapo, an Engineer, CEO/President of Kemi Construction, Inc., formally welcomed and introduced me to the gathering. While OSAA Secretary, Dr. Michael Akintade, and members of the association warmly welcomed me to the meeting, to the admiration of Banji Olaleye, Chairman of the Planning Committee for the Association, and his beautiful wife, Princess Tomisin Olateru-Olagbegi-Olaleye, who invited me to the meeting. In his welcoming speech, the President made a cardinal point of preparing their children for tomorrow. He reiterated the fact that Nigeria is retrogressive in its current situations, and urged fellow Nigerians to make sacrifices to make things better in the country. He gave an example of similar thing done in Kenya, the model he is following. OSA will be focusing on Education; to start with, as "Education is the foundation of progress" OSA is not into rhetoric but action based with the focus on "sound education." I could read the level of seriousness in the Association's Mission with the principles of "the philanthropic beliefs of our [OSAA] members."

OSAA "mission is to convince talented patriotic Ondo State sons and daughters in America, Europe and elsewhere who are actively participating in community development to join hands with OSA … in areas of infrastructure, hands-on technical training, education, health, job creation, job placement and construction services."

The Association believes that "it is better to give than to receive and to whom much is given; much is expected. It is this spirit of reciprocity that the Ondo State Association of Atlanta, USA was founded….to start a new culture that could ignite like fire across Nigeria …to re-shape the thinking mentality of our Nigerian neighbors. The concept is that the private sector, local Associations, Faith based organizations (Churches, Mosques etc) be in alliance with the government in continued and committed development of our [Ondo] state." The President emphatically stated that the Association is neither a jamboree gathering, nor a social club, and far away from OWAMBE style. The Association is very much fretful about their children, their future.

One of the astonishing things OSAA is doing is worth sharing with other Nigerians in Diaspora. OSAA members are made up of practical professionals with their private, but successful, private businesses, functional accountants with the State of Georgia Revenue Division, practical Architects, Medical Personnel, Entrepreneur Pharmacists, and a host of others. The membership composition is very inspiring.

This past summer (2004) OSAA taxed its members, bought and delivered 100,000 Exercise Books, (as it is called in Nigeria, Notebooks, in America), 50,000 pencils, and 5, 000 ball point pens for elementary schools in Ondo State. The event was at the Cocoa Conference Hall, Akure.

The Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, was at the launching of the noble course by OSAA in Akure, September 17, 2004. With his busy schedule, I would say that he was respectively commanded to attend the launching which he obliged to. OSAA did not request for any financial assistance from the State Government, but indirectly challenging his administration to focus on the peoples' needs. The Association has "no intention to sway or influence {the peoples'} political views or alters {their} ways of life. Rather, it is {its} desire to collaborate with the government and the entire community to influence a much needed improvement." Other public officials, some school Principals were in attendance.

The Governor has all it takes to make things better in the State. He has no excuse with his education - Ph. D. in Engineering, once a Minister under President Obasanjo and with his wealth of experience, the only choice he has is for his administration to perform in Ondo State. That is the challenge from Ondo Citizens in Diaspora. One noble thing that the Association did was to sponsor two of their members, Rufus Olaleye, an Engineer with the State Department of Transportation, Atlanta, and Martin Kunle Olateru-Olagbegi, an Architect, President, Nile Inc., who is the OSAA Vice President, to deliver the exercise books and pencils to the schools in Ondo State. While in Nigeria, due to time constrain, they delivered some part of the materials to St. Peter's C.A.C. School, and Government Primary School, Owo, while delivery to other cities would follow. The arrangement and distribution was not left in the hands of the 'Arm Chair Commissioners' or any Government Officials. The Association coordinated the deliveries with the specific schools of their selection, and adequately informed the community of their coming.

The communities welcomed the arrangement with sigh of relieve that, at least, their children do not forget where they came from, the schools that laid the foundation for their careers and their successes. That is what we are talking about. It does not matter how little the contribution is, the communities would appreciate it. Nothing done for your community is too little in Nigeria. If we all start doing that, it will be a way of full dependence on government for the community needs.

I have repeated this for a while, and I am reiterating it again, if Nigerians in Diaspora are waiting to solve Nigeria ailing situations with a 'global' approach, they might have to wait until the MESSIAH comes. When is the Messiah coming, not very soon with the situation of things in Nigeria today? The best approach would be for individual Nigerians to make their little contributions at their disposal to their respective villages. Nothing should be considered infinitesimal in Nigeria. The little contribution to the needs in the communities would go a long way in bailing majority of Nigerians out from the egocentric Nigerian public officials. The contributions could go to the Local Government and to your respective States at least for now.

At the State level, the common boundary bonds State citizens together. Certainly we know who is who within the State. We can challenge the players in the State; at least we know the public officials from their respective Local Governments. We could be classmates, or co-workers at one point or the other. We have stories to remind ourselves of about our communities. In essence we might have a better way of monitoring them better than those at the Federal level.

In line with that, the Ondo citizens in the State of Georgia, following the footsteps of other States Associations, formed Ondo State Association of Atlanta. OSAA came into existence at the tail end of the former Ondo State Governor, Chief Adefarati's administration with a couple of incidents in the State especially in Owo. It was at a gathering of Ondo citizens at the residence of Rufus Oladapo sometimes in October 2002 when the idea to mobilize Ondo citizens in Atlanta to come together and form an Association. Some of the individuals at that gathering were, Dr. Michael Akintade, President/CEO of Trinity Dialysis Clinic, Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi, President/CEO of Conet Consulting, an IT and Financial services, Sola Olorunsola, A finance Expert with the Georgia Revenue Department, Lasisi Mohammed, President/CEO of Molson Construction Co. LLC., and President of Egbe Omo Yoruba, (National Association of Yoruba Descendants in North America), Dr. Michael Adeleye, a Pharmacist, and of course Banji Olaleye, an Engineer with the State Department of Transportation. OSAA was incorporated in the Office of Secretary of State, Georgia, April 3, 2003.

The founders are serious minded individuals hardly found at any of the OWAMBE gatherings in Atlanta. They are very highly, respected and successful business men and women in the community; they are somber professionals in their chosen careers. They are not interested in all the merry go rounds slaughtering of cows for the wasteful OWAMBE gatherings in the metro Atlanta.

For the first year of the formation of OSAA, their people in Nigeria are already feeling the Association's Mission. The Association went directly to their communities addressing their immediate needs, not engaging themselves on a white elephant projects. The association is working on little projects that matter to their communities in Nigeria. It does not wait on the State Government to make its contributions to their respective communities. Giving back to the community is OSAA number one priority.

By doing a couple of things for the Nigerian communities, especially by the Nigerian in Diaspora, are ways of empowering our people to vote their conscience, and change non-productive public officials. Do not ask me how long that is going to take. It does not take that long. Gradually "a snail climbs to the top of Iroko tree without hurting itself"; repatriating part of what we have in Diaspora will go a long way in our communities.

It does not matter what you repatriate home, in as much as it is legitimate, it could be transportation business, and it will make a difference. Go home and start a taxi business in your state, like Tajudeen Adeyeye is doing in Kwara State. He bought a couple of buses from, wherever, shipped them home, and will be operating Transportation services, to ease transportation challenges in the State. He is going to have inter-City, intra-state, and inter-state transportation services. Most Nigerians may not have that type of Adeyeye's business to take home, but we do have quite a number of Nigerians in transportation business that could duplicate what he is doing in his State. It is not all money. You could share your ideas with your home State Government officials. Every single Nigerians in Diaspora has something to give back to their communities.

If you are into construction industry like the President of Ondo State Association of Atlanta, parallel business could be established at home without looking for contracts from the Government. You can discourage Nigerian business men and women from the general norm of chasing contracts at the government corridors.

Pharmacist such as Dr. Michael Adeleye, for his longetivity and experience in Pharmaceutical industry, among other things, he could definitely go into partnership with any drug company in the United States and get one established in his village at least. Fortunately his lovely wife, Mrs. Ronke Adeleye, who is OSAA's Treasurer, she would manage the business better than anyone else. Like the Comedian, Dr. Bill Cosby always advises; take care of your own finances.

The Royal Family members of the Association, the Olateru-Olagbegis, Adekoya, Adenekan, Adeshola, and the rest of them, should be thinking seriously of planting something in Ondo State or in Owo for the people to benefit from. It could be a Sport Center either for recreation that could be patterned along with what is available in the United States, or their design. A place where the children could go for fun, or even adults could be established. I understand that we have that large family interested in Lawn Tennis. I hope the Olateru-Olagbegis are taking note.

Watching the video of the book deliveries in Ondo State, Nigeria, the Communities appreciated the good gesture. With cultural displays by the student in the two schools, where the books were delivered, and from the speeches by the Principals and Community leaders, it was a job well done.

In another development, the Yorubas of Atlanta shared its progressive programs with me different the OWAMBE style like I alleged in one of my pieces early this year (2004). A friend of mine planned a 'coup' by inviting me to his house for dinner. Little did I realize that he was hosting the Yorubas of Atlanta, YOA, and meeting in his house that day. When I got to my friend's house, YOA President, Mrs. Bola Adesiyun, was there. The first thing I noticed was the sound of an intensive class session going on at my friend's basement. When I listened for a while, I heard 'Ha' 'Bi' 'Di' etc, which is A B C, that teaching Yoruba language to the members' children. Impressive!

Similarly, Isokan Yoruba of Georgia(IYG), a Chapter of Egbe Omo Yoruba, is playing its part in "Rebuilding Hope in Nigeria" with one of its pet projects on its Adopt-A-School program. On the invitation of Mr. Niyi Oladapo, President of IYG, I was at IYG 8th Anniversary and Fundraiser Dinner for the project this past September. The first library been built under this program is near completion at Ansarudeen Primary School, Arigidi-Akoko, in Ondo State. The second project is about one third completed at Anglican Primary School, Ifon-Osun in Osun State, while the third is about to start somewhere in Kwara State.

Things are happening with Nigerian organizations in Georgia. The Ondo State Association of Atlanta should go public and launch its Association, encourage other States to form their State chapters, form the National body of OSA, USA, Inc., the vehicle to get the attention of the Ondo State Government. They should remain non partisan, but support which ever government is in power. OSAA should get involved in the communities of their residence; members should volunteer their time for other charitable organizations, as it is one of the avenues to get assistance from charitable organizations in the United States of America for their home communities.

Like our people always say, A ko ni gbe s'ajo o! (We would not perish in the foreign lands). Home is home, regardless how well the foreign land is to you. Nigerians should remember that, Americans, Europeans, or Asians, will not improve situations in Nigeria; Nigerians have to help themselves. "Rome was not built in a day" so people say. Americans, Europeans, Asians made sacrifices to make their countries what they are today for others to benefit from. Nigerians could do the same for others across from the Globe, especially from other African countries, to benefit from.

Kudos to the young and effervescent Ondo State Association of Atlanta, after all, everyone is tired of the wasteful gatherings. Unfortunately the current day economy requires us to tighten our belts and safe for tomorrow.

OSAA meets the third Saturday of the month from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. For more information in making your contributions to OSAA or joining the association, or forming your local State Chapters, you can contact the President at 404-761-0518, or write OSAA at P. O. Box 161878, Atlanta, Georgia 30321, or e-mail at osa@yahoo.com. We are looking forward to its launching in summer of 2005. Hopefully OSAA will have other Chapters duly formed especially those in Houston, Florida and Chicago. All Ondo State sons and daughters in Diaspora should join hands and make OSAA a mammoth success.