All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate for Oyo South, Sharafadeen Alli, asserted that Ibadan can attain Dubai’s status through collective efforts of all indigenes.
Mr Alli made this assertion on Wednesday in Ibadan while delivering a lecture entitled: “Ibadan Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.
The lecture was organised by the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in commemoration of Oba Lekan Balogun’s 100 days on the throne as the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Alli, the Maye Balogun of Ibadanland, is also a former Secretary to Oyo State Government.
According to him, Ibadan, which indigenes are trying to build now will be a centre for real estate and agriculture.
In his words, “We believe that Ibadan can become a city like Dubai, when its indigenes can collectively invest in the city.”
In his goodwill message, Senator Lekan Balogun (APC/Oyo South) said, “Ibadan indigenes are now willing to invest in their children’s intellectual capacity and not act of thuggery.”
Mutiat Ladoja, the Agbaakin Iyalode of Ibadanland, urged journalists to help in promoting the culture and tradition of Yorubaland.
Mrs Ladoja, represented by Dolapo Dosunmu, a former State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), urged the people to promote their indigenous languages.
According to her, the people should endeavour to promote their local languages by encouraging the children at home to speak the local dialects.
“In doing this, we will safeguard the languages from going into extinction.
“Our language must not perish, we should be proud of them,” Mrs Ladoja, wife of former Oyo governor Rasidi Ladoja, said.
