Encomium
On Saturday, July 8, 2017, Rotarian Dr. Wale Ogunbadejo was installed governor of District 9110 Nigeria, and the event was well attended.
The colourful ceremony attracted Rotarians from and outside the district, and other dignitaries from far and near.
The exciting event will forever remain memorable, not only in the life of the celebrant but all the attendees in all ramifications.
Among the high points of the programme which kicked off with National Anthem and followed by that of Rotary was the transfer of power from the immediate past governor, Rotarian Patrick Ikheloa to the new governor who will be paddling the canoe of the district till 2018 when power will change hands again.
The investiture which signified change of baton, perhaps, was the most exciting moment of the occasion which hugely attracted the attention of the guests who cheered the new governor with profuse rounds of applause.
This was preceded by the presentation of the family of the celebrant which also received a robust attention of the audience as all eyes were on the Ogunbadejos. What further captured the attention of the guests and Rotarians in the hall was the quick intervention by the new governor to correct the human error by the anchor of that segment who failed to acknowledge the presence of other children (non biological) of the celebrant, and that was swiftly addressed and it received an exciting applause from the audience.
The elated District Governor later stepped out to perform his first task by calling to order his first meeting at exactly 1.33 pm.
Also, the Asian kid dancers also stole the hearts of many, not only with exceptional performance but their looks and unique costumes. The kids were later appreciated with certificates by the new governor for their contribution to the glamorous event.
The farewell addressed by the immediate past governor, Ikheloa and the inaugural speech by his successor, Ogunbadejo also got a good attention of the audience.
The key note address by immediate past president, International Fund for Agricultural Development, based in Rome, Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze was more than educative and enlightening but heart-touching as it cuts across every facet of life. In fact, the speech really transformed the atmosphere from its social status to that of the academic. Dr Nwanze was also decorated by the new governor with Rotary’s exalted symbol of honour.
Popular comedian, Kofi Nuel was later called upon by one of the comperes, Akin Semowo, to entertain the guests, and he didn’t disappoint. The lead compere was Ikechukwu Unegbe.
Then, fundraising and recognition was anchored by the governor himself, and the response was very commendable.
The raffle draw/auction was also an exciting moment for almost all the Rotarians in the house and the guests from various parts of the country. The segment was well handled by Assistant Governor, Mohammed Mijinyawa and Rotarian Ayo Adeyemi who embellished the episode with comic approach which make the competition for the motorbike auctioned more fascinating.
- TADE ASIFAT for encomium.ng
