Eruwa And The New Wind Of Change | Adewole Peter

The task of building any community world over revolves around the inhabitants of such communal set up. All the stakeholders- artisans, religious bodies, women folks, market women, elders, youths, students among others are expected to strive in unison towards changing the fortunes of such enclave for the better. It is said in Yoruba parlance that it was the wisdom of both the youth and that of the elders that led to the creation of Ife Kingdom.
This narrative succinctly described the developmental efforts witnessed in the past in Eruwa community. It is a common knowledge that our town was ones rated high in terms of collective effort to drive development. Many of what we can boast of as communal heritage are products of unified labour of our forebears. References to these are the YMCA camp, Eruwa Town Hall, Excel Microfinance Bank, the uncompleted Eruwa Youth Hall among others. Without doubt, our past was written in gold and will forever be kind to those who brought this glorious past into fruition.

As we progress as a community, there comes a time in our history when lull set in and we went to sleep, thereby we find ourselves in a quandary. Everything appears to be working against us in respect of any attempt we make to attract development to our town. Unity, love, and spirit of shared responsibility which we were known for seem to elude us. We began to work in isolation and wander in the wilderness of various challenges.
We are all witnesses to our recent gory past, how and when this becomes our fate will not form the chunk of this piece but the way out of this quagmire in order to raise the bar of development in our dear town to bequeath legacy of hope and positive change to the present and future generation where all of us will be proud of Eruwa as our origin.

“Change’’ they say, “is a constant phenomenon in human endeavour.’’ However, change cannot subsist in abstract, it is the people that will cause change to take place. Without being equivocal, the latest wind of positive change that has begun to blow in our community is a welcome development, a way of improvement. All well-meaning indigenes home and diaspora must strive to sustain the ongoing efforts to restore the lost glory of our heritage.

Challenges are inherent feature in the life of human. It is only those who do not communicate that tend to absolve crisis, where communication exist, crises are bound to surface. However, the commitment to get rid of crisis is vital in crisis resolution effort. After a period of stalemate at the level of Eruwa Youth Movement, a truce was brokered, and the organization has risen to her generational role by promoting peace, unity, and development in the community. A word of commendation goes to all stakeholders in the affairs of the movement that jettisoned all manners of sentiment and ensured that the body was restructured and resuscitated; this effort must be sustained for the betterment of all.
This effort and many others signal the wave of change that currently pervade the town. October 1st, 2022 marked another landmark in the history of Eruwa community when Eruwa Youth Development Centre was unveiled by the incumbent leadership of Eruwa Youth Movement. This initiative is commendable, ought to be supported by all and sundry to ensure its actualization. The foundation has been laid; a big task is ahead of us.

My interaction with some members of the headship of the movement exposed me to the vision of establishing the anticipated youth development centre. The proposed project is expected to host a Library, ICT Centre, Vocational Training Centre, Eruwa Students secretariat and Eruwa Youth Movement Secretariat (ongoing) among others. This, I tag THE BIG DREAM.
In a bid to achieve this, I want to enjoin the visioners and advocates of this ambitious initiative to come up with a work plan that will outlive their tenure and ultimately stimulate the realization of the project. In this regard, two committee will suffice to attain this life time dream; the Technical Committee and Board of Trustee. While Technical Committee is expected to comprise professionals in structural works that will see to the drawings of the structures and supervision of project execution that will make up the proposed centre, the Board of Trustee is expected to mobilize human, and resources required for the project.
At this end, I must commend the support of Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin the present Speaker of Oyo State House Assembly for his huge donation towards the completion of Eruwa Youth Movement Secretariat. This gesture will forever linger in our memory, and it will energize others to support developmental drive in the community. Our criticism against him in the past was not borne out of hatred but the need to spur him into action to make good use of the present opportunity at our disposal, as nobody know when the current prospect will be our fate again.
In an attempt to promote integration among various community development organisations in Eruwa community, the present leadership of Eruwa Youth Movement initiated another structure during 2022 Easter congress christened Central Council of Eruwa Indigenes. The vision was to create a transition platform for those who can no longer be accommodated within the Eruwa Youth Movement structure due to new constitutional provision which has put the age limit of members of youth movement at fifty. With this development, it is believed that every individual who is desirous to support progressive effort in Eruwa community will find a platform to do so.

While Eruwa Youth Movement is working assiduously at the top level of the community to change the cause of our history for better, Aborerin Youth Forum, an ancillary of the apex body is not leaving any stone unturned to drive progressive change in Aborerin quarters of the town. It is worthy of note to applaud this forum for the conception and execution of operation-light-up-Aborerin project. While many still rely on government to execute such project, the forum took it upon them as a community service initiative to fix twenty-five solar streetlights in the area. This has proven that together we are stronger, better and can achieve the more.
This is a reference point in our history, a worthy legacy project for other youth organisation in the community to emulate and a tonic for the forum not to rest on their oars. It is also a stimulant that we must not endlessly wait for those we are entrusted to manage our public life but have failed to be responsive to their responsibilities. They have chosen to perpetually keep us in political servitude; we cannot afford to leave our destiny in their hands.
From all indications, our people have once again taken the bull by the horn in our quest for an enlivened community. We must not allow distraction, sentiment of all sorts and selfishness to deter us from achieving greatness of our community. We must struggle in unanimity to sustain the current tempo and high spirit to revive the sleeping giant for the better of the present and future generation.

Adewole Peter is a former Secretary of Eruwa Youth Movement