The atmosphere was electrifying and with much fanfare and pomp. It was the installation of Rotarian Bamidele Onalaja as the 20th Hope President of Rotary Club of Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos.
Onalaja, a property magnate and Chief Executive Officer of RevolutionPlus Group, formally took over the mantle of leadership of the 20 years old club at an impressive ceremony held on Saturday, July 31 at the very glamorous Glitz Event Centre, Lekki.
The event had in attendance A-class celebrities and dignitaries led by the Arole Oodua and Ooni of Ile-Ife, His Imperial Majesty Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, (Ojaja ll) also in attendance were Sadererin of Isonyin Ijebu, His Royal Highness, Abdulsalam Cosy Salam, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Chairman, SLOT Technologies, who also chaired the installation ceremony, Dr. Lary Izamoje of Brilla Group and Rev’d Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi, the Iya Adura and founder of Love of Christ Generation Church, C & S, who was mother of the day.
Also in attendance were the District Governor, Remi Bello, FCA who decorated the newly installed president with the collarette alongside the Charter President of the Club, Past District Governor Bola Oyebade, and the Ooni of Ife; the ebullient Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Special Adviser on Housing; as well as Mr. Idris Salako, Lagos State’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Policy; Policewoman, DCP Yetunde Longe; Bode Agoro, Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Lagos State; and High Chief Adefowope Orioye, chairman, Adefowope Group of Companies.
The Ooni of Ife described the newly installed President, Rtn. Bamidele Onalaja, as an energetic and hardworking man who will surpass the mandate and expectations of the 20-year-old club.
Oba Adeyeye, himself a Paul Harris fellow of Rotary, congratulated the club for having Rotarian Onalaja as its President and urge the entire membership to rally around the newly installed President so as to achieve mega successes for humanity.
In his acceptance speech, the newly installed President described the global humanitarian’s theme for this year, “Serve to Change Lives” as service to God.
Onalaja who is also the Founder, Chris Bamidele Onalaja Foundation, pledged ‘to do good in the world’ as Rotary dictates and to serve the club and humanity with pride from July 1, 2021, when he assumed office, to June 30, 2022, when leadership will change hands.
He therefore, called for massive support from members of the club and Rotary District 9110 Nigeria to achieve his set goals and objectives for the 2021/2022 Rotary Year which he disclosed that the club has kicked off with some landmark projects notable among which are the N70m Child and Maternity Health Centre at Amuwo-Odofin, 6 blocks of classrooms with an assembly hall and offices at Wasimi Junior School, Mende Maryland, valued at N10m while the club has already commissioned an ultra-modern toilet facility built at a cost of N4.2m at the Cane Village Craft Centre, Odo Iya Alaro, Maryland.
At the highly successful installation ceremony, about N40m was raised as donations to fund projects that will benefit humanity.
