Oloye Olumakinde Oni, Atayese of Ido, Ibadan Land

ASIWAJU YINKA FASUYI @ 70

Let me first express my profound appreciation to Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi for appointing me as one of the chosen persons to write tributes on his 70th birthday. This is an expression of appreciation for considering me worthy to write a tribute for you on your 70th birthday.

I will equally thank God for the protection and blessings bestowed on Asiwaju since birth, 70 years ago.

Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi is a multidimensional personality ranging from economic, social, cultural, religious and educational endeavors. I am going to limit myself to even a small part of his social life.

The aspect I am going to talk about is his unbeatable records as a member of Ibadan Recreation Club (1902), the first cosmopolitan Club in Africa, South of Sahara.

I was admitted to Ibadan Recreation Club (1902) in the year 1998. Asiwaju Fasuyi was then the membership Secretary of the Club. I will be forever grateful to him for his role in indentifying me and recommending me for the membership of the great Club.

Some few years after serving as membership Secretary of the Club, he was elected as the Chairman of snookers and Billards Section.

After a meritorious service as the Chairman of snookers and Billards Section, he was elected as the President of the Club.

As fate would have it, when I was elected as the President of the Club in year 2019, Asiwaju was one of the very prominent Nigerians that was nominated and appointed as Patron of the Club along side Ooni of Ife, Emir of Ilorin and Akogun Afolabi.

ACHIEVEMENTS

To save time and space, I will just mention a few of his achievements in the Club.

• Asiwaju introduced everlasting policies both in the Snookers’ Section in particular and the Club as a whole. When he was in the position of leadership.

• For over 20 years now, he has been sponsoring competition in the Snookers Section on yearly basis. The competitions have been one of the opportunities for excellent social interaction for all Club members.

• Regular donations to virtually all the Sections of the Club. There was a year when he donated N2 million to each Section of the Club to execute live long and relevant projects to the Sections.

• He was magnanimous enough to rehabilitate and renovate the family and Children gardens which have been named after him for Posterity Ladies and Gentlemen, you will all agree with me that Asiwaju is one of the forces that made Ibadan Recreation to reach the level that it is today (the best Club in Ibadan, and the Second best in Nigeria after Ikoyi Club (1938).

• Asiwaju is always interested in Unity, Peace and harmony in the Club.

Congratulations to Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi!

The Asiwaju of Ijesha Land,

The Patron of Ibadan Recreation Club (1902),

Balogun of Ijebu Jesha,

The Patron of Ijesha Sports Club,

Balogun Ijo of Holy Trinity Church, Omoofe, Ilesa,

Baba Oba of Iwuraja Ijesha

And so on and so on…….

May God continue to keep you for us in particular and for humanity in general

Best wishes from

Oloye Olumakinde Oni

Atayese of Ido, Ibadan Land,

Baba Ijo, St. James Church, Imo – Ilesa.

Former President, Ibadan Recreation Club (1902)