The Lagos at 50 Boat Regatta organized at Ebute-Ipakodo under the “Almighty” Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives from Ikorodu, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye was an entire failure.
Right from the onset, the programme was not only shoddy in preparation but very defective. From the entrance to the venue, one begins to wonder what more than one hundred Neighbourhood watchers were doing at the venue when actually, they did not need more than twenty or thirty of them.
People were asking whether the event was meant only for the politicians or for the people of the community. What is even funny is that some of Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye’s friends, who were given invitations were turned back by the Neighbourhood watchers at the entrance.
Gbeborun gathered that a very important personality in Ikorodu angrily went back to his car and drove away while Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye’s political friends were allowed inside the venue. It was difficult even for Oriwu Sun reporters to gain entrance to the venue.
Even, though, we were not given invitation, our zeal to cover the entire event for the Governor gave us the passion to be at the venue. We came with two reporters and a photographer but only one reporter was allowed entrance while the Neighbourhood watchers refused other two entry.
The reporters had to go through another gate, which was not properly secured to cover the event. When the organizer saw them, they were baffled but had no choice than to allow them to work.
To make matters worse, the Obas in the division were not given centre tables in front, while the “Almighty” commissioner, Ogunleye and the special adviser on food security and a lady were conspicuously given a centre table decorated with flowers.
The Obas saw the action as insultive and decided to protest. Indeed, one of them (name withheld) stood up to protest but Oba Kabir Shotobi quickly begged him to sit down and allow sleeping dogs to lie.
Again, when it was time to distribute food packages to the guests, everybody was given the same items including the Obas. One would have thought that decent package would have been given to our Obas but they didn’t do that.
One of the Obas pondered that the Ambode he knows would have given millions of Naira to organizers in the division yet our own Rotimi Ogunleye who is the overall chairman of the Lagos at 50 boat regatta failed to perform. It is even sad that Ogunleye the “Almighty” commissioner, whom they said is from Ikorodu should know better on on how to organize event of that nature in future.
Perhaps, he should go and learn from the Honourable Acting Commissioner for Tourism, Adebimpe Akinsola, who organized the One Lagos Fiesta in a fantastic way.
The MC of the occasion, Gbenga Dosunmu (a.k.a Eweso), no doubt, was not fit to handle that programme. Being a local M.C whose area of familiarity is Ijebu dialect failed to rise up to the occasion. Rather than recognize the dignitaries present, he was busy recognizing the politicians who would give him money and failed to realise that we have Ibos and other national among the guests, who will not understand Ijebu dialect.
Overall, the entire Boat Regatta in Ikorodu on April 15, 2017 was a failure. The ceremony was very dull, unenthusiastic, and poorly organized. And that was the opinion of the Obas and the people present. They believe it could have been done better.
More than twelve boats, which participated in the event lacked colour and were parading from one place to another unlike what we saw in Badagry, Epe and Lagos Island that were loaded with fun and activities. Ikorodu, where we had our own man, Ogunleye as the overall chairman of the Boat Committee, the result was nothing to write home about.
One of those Gbeborun talked to, who is also a politician in Ikorodu said he did not expect much from Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye because, according to him since two years he was in the Lagos State Government, courtesy of his brother, who was the former deputy governor, he has not brought any dividends of democracy to his community, except that he is very proud, full of himself and that the best thing that happened to him in his life was to be a commissioner.
We can only hope that next time when he is given assignment, he would do it better than he did in boat regatta especially in his own town.
Can somebody ask him how much he collected for this poor show? Gbeborun will tell you later!