Coastal NEWS

The Zionist town of Ugbonla was thrown into festivity on Tuesday, 16th
February, 2010 as people from all work of life troupes out in their
numbers to mark the annual Founder's Day Celebration.
The Zionist community which had earlier set up a powerful committee
under the chairmanship of politician and youth leader, Bright Ojubuyi,
the former chairman of the Niger Delta Youth Movement in Ondo State to
package a befitting programme to mark the annual event. He was
supported by  another politician, Hon. Mafolabumi Daniel, a former
supervisor for health in llaje Local Government, as secretary. The
appointment of the duo as principal officers of the committee brought
a political dimension to the event as political aspirants having
interest in one position or the other trooped in to the town in order
to arouse sympathy of the community which its support for politicians
matter a lot as they would not easily give physical support to the
candidate of their chose but would also give enormous spiritual
support to such candidate through fasting and praying, being the
pillars on which the community has been founded.
Most of the people of Ugbonla community has rehabilitated their
house, painting them to wear new looks, while the youths of the
community also engaged in intensive environmental sanitation which
gave the community a good look during the programme.
The Cherubiums otherwise called "Kerubu" added a lot of colour and
glamour to the event as they were seen carrying out parades and
acrobatic activities apparently to entertain guests.
Foodseller from the neighbouring Ugbo, Mahin, lgbokoda also moved
in to Ugbonla to take advantage of event to sell their items.
Ugbonla, the cradle of Zionism in Nigeria and abroad played host
to people form their various branches particularly their foreign
mission in Gabon which sent their leader, Jaw-Claue Luck, chairman,
Gabon Conference, C&S Church of Zion.
The senator representing the Southern Senatorial District at the
National Assembly, Senator Hosea Ehinlanwo who was the chairman of the
occation while speaking thanked people of the community and indeed the
llajes for their prayers for him since he assumed the office a couple
of years ago.
Ehinlanwo thanked Ugbonla people for their spiritual
steadfastness which has accounted for the peace that is now prevalent
in the entire riverine areas of Ondo State.
He called on religious leaders to keep praying not only for Ondo
State but also for the stability of Nigeria as a nation. He said he
world use the remaining period of time to develop both human capacity
and infrastructure in the area by using this influence and contacts
for the people.
The head of Ugbonla community Oba Dr H.M Ogunfeyimi (DD), JP,
Atarioye Ajigbade II of Ugbonla in his address called for maintenance
of peace and order in the riverine areas.
He described Ugbonla, the seat of Zion as a community which the
Ondo State Government must embrace for tourism because of the enormous
tourism potentials of the uarea. He called on all the sons and
daughters of Ugbonla in diaspora not to stay out of the community
which he described as a "Jerusalem of sorts".
Atarioye Ajigbade II called on his people to establish industries
in Ugbonla for the benefit of all.
In his own remarks. Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, Olugbo of Ugbo called
for peace and unity in llaje area. He appealed to the llaje to shun
dichotomy  which according to him was capable of disuniting the area.
He promised to use his connections and God given wealth to
develop the area.
The climax of the event was the launching of fund for the
reconstruction of the Zion Cathedral, Senator Ehinlanwo donated a sum
of five hundred thousand Naira (N500,000) while the new Oba Olugbo of
Ugbo donated one million Naira (N1,000,000). There were also donations
from OSOPADEC, llaje Local Government, notable individuals and
corprate bodies.
The event was rounded up with laying of the foundation stone of
the Community's lTC centre as a brain child of Senator Hosea
Ehinlanwo. The new Oba Olugbo and head of the community,
representative of the OSOPADEC chairman and llaje Local Government
chairman supported the senator in laying the foundation stone of the
ICT Centre.
Zionist singers like Debo Ojubuyi, Lekan Remilekun Amos and a lot
of others were on hand to thrill the audience in a very special way.