Why we can’t afford to miss Ile-Arugbo weekly meetings- Aged Women


Beneficiaries of the goodwill of the late Olusola Saraki who are mostly aged women say they would continue to meet at the premises of the demolished old people’s home in Ilorin for their weekly meetings. Writes UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB
Despite the demolition of Ile Arugbo also known as the old people’s charity home of the late Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki in Ilorin by agents of Kwara state government, the aged women last Friday still thronged the place to receive gifts from the Saraki family because it is a tradition that had been sustained over the years.The aged women said they cannot miss going to Ile Arugbo every Friday. This according to them, is because that is where their needs are and have been catered for.Four women in their 70s who spoke with newsmen at Ile Arugbo last Friday said that that’s the only place in Ilorin where needs are genuinely met without any precondition.


When the women returned.

The women, Sarah Adebayo from Kwara South, Alhaja Saratu Raimi, Abibatu Suleiman from Kwara Central and Rachael Adebayo (JP) from Iyin Ekiti in Ekiti state disclosed that they have been patronising Ile Arugbo for about 40 years now.They said apart from the foodstuff and clothes that they normally receive at Ile Arugbo, the late Second Republic Senate leader, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki also sponsored them on Hajj and Jerusalem pilgrimages. They expressed delight that the immediate past Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki is following the footsteps of his late father in the humanitarian gesture.”Saraki had for about 40 years been using Ile Arugbo to distribute gifts to us, even during the military rule without any hindrance.
“The late Olusola Saraki was our benefactor who took good care of us during his life time. His son, Dr Bukola Saraki is also following the footsteps of his late father in this regard,” they enthused.The women, in their hundreds and in high spirit, offered various prayer songs, asking God to grant Dr Bukola Saraki long life, sound health and victory over his adversaries. As usual, food stuff, clothes and money were distributed to the women who defied the cold weather to arrive Ile Arugbo as early as 7:00 am.The man who supervised the distribution of the largesse to the women, Rasaq Aladie, said Saraki had always made enough provision for the women whether or not he is in Ilorin.


Again stakeholders caution state gov’t
Meanwhile, elders and members of the Ilorin West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have advised Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to face the task of governance instead of dissipating energy on petty issues.They said every efforts aimed at erasing the legacies of the late strongman of Kwara politics and Second Republic Senate leader would fail.The PDP chairman in Ilorin West Local Government Area, Alh Ahmed Baba Okota, made these submissions at a news conference he addressed on behalf of the party’s stakeholders at the party’s secretariat along Agbo-Oba area of Ilorin metropolis. Akota said that the late Saraki’s legendary humanitarian gestures during his life time had implanted his love permanently in the hearts of the people.

He added further that the late Saraki’s legendary humanitarian activities were not restricted to the period of partisan politics alone. “Even, during the prolonged military rule in Nigeria, Saraki Oloye continued with his unmatched humanitarian gestures at his charity home- Ile Arugbo.”That is why the recent actions of Governor AbdulRazaq which tend towards erasing the legacies of Baba Saraki, therefore, came to us as a rude shock.”We concur with the submissions of earlier commentators on these issues, both prominent individuals and organisations that the government’s actions are nothing but a pure vendetta and vindictiveness.”It’s important to make it clear to His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his advisers that there is nothing anyone can do to erase the legacies of the late Oloye Saraki. Indeed, Saraki lives in the heart of the people. And this is not accidental, it was designed.”The Wazirin Gari had always been there for his people at the time of their needs. It was Saraki who provided water for our people when they were thirsty and no help was coming from anywhere. Saraki erected brick water tanks at strategic locations within Ilorin metropolis and used his water tankers to supply them with potable water for their domestic use.”It was the same Saraki that constructed bridges across the popular Amule river (Amule Saraki) to facilitate vehicular movements in the downtown Ilorin.”Saraki also sponsored the education of numerous indigent students and medical treatments of many, especially the aged. The list of Saraki’s interventions in the lives of the people of Ilorin Emirate, in particular, and Kwara in general is endless. This is why they have taken him as their hero.”In the light of the above, we would like to call on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to listen to the voices of reason by rescinding his decisions aimed at erasing Saraki’s legacies. It’s the duty of every government to ensure the welfare of the people. So, if anyone is engaging in humanitarian gestures to put smiles on the faces of the needy and the downtrodden, any serious government should encourage such an individual,” he said.


How it all started


The misunderstanding that had engulfed in Kwara of late, according to investigation is as old as the state itself. Analysts are of the opinion that the age-long cold war between the AbdulRasaq’s family and the late Oloye is coming up now that the All Progressives Congress APC government has taken over power in the state which is the reason for the deliberate pulling down of all the political structures of the Saraki dynasty by AbduRasaq in what is called pay-back time. This to a large extent is what the proponents of ‘O to ge’ wanted at the beginning of the last electioneering campaigns in the state.It is however expected that the two parties especially the state government would sheath their swords from petty family feud and allow the state to move on in peace following the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Leave a Reply