Family, friends and well-wishers on Wednesday converged on Lagos and Osogbo, the Osun State capital to pray and celebrate the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who celebrated 65 years recently. The two events took place at the same time with those present praying in the two major religions of Christianity and Islam for the continued prosperity and good health of the Ilesa-born politician. Amid singing and drumming and merriment, they also took time out to eulogise the virtue of the minister who they all lauded for his service to humanity in the various capacities that he had served both in public and private. Speaking in Lagos, one of the locations for the celebration in the country, the former Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Tourism, Osun State, Prince Adetona Sikiru Ayedun said they were in the state to celebrate the birthday of their mentor, benefactor and a trailblazer in the person of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Ayedun said,’’ The man we are celebrating today is a great mentor, a politician and a core activist and all of us here celebrating him are politicians and we have benefited greatly from his ocean of wisdom and benevolence. Our gathering here is to celebrate him, celebrate God in his life and his entire family.’’
Also speaking, the former Lagos State Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Alhaji Rafiu Olorunwa, said,’’ We are here to celebrate our mentor and our leader in the person of Ogbeni Rafiu Aregbesola, who clocked 65-year- old.’’ Olorunwa who believes politics should not hinder one celebrating with someone who deserved to be celebrated said,’’ By culture either towards election period or not, that should not stop one celebrating with someone that is celebrating, because Aregbeshola, who we are celebrating is a man of honour and he deserves more than this that we have shown to him.
‘’There is no way you can describe him that you would not meet him. He is a man that put his faith in God knowing that nothing can happen without God’s approval, and in terms of generosity he is there and a firm believer in humanity than political activities.’’ One of the ardent followers of the minister, Babatunde Olaoluwa, who charged everyone to cooperate with the party leadership to conduct a peaceful primary election said,’’ People are busy right now that the primary election is around the corner. Our advice for all people is to abide by the rules and follow the directives of the leadership of the party because they see better and know better. ‘’Their advice will be of great importance to us, so I am appealing to all and sundry that leadership must not be dragged in the mud and that is the belief of Aregbesola and our belief too.’’
He urged people not to misconstrue it as a political gathering, saying, “This is not a political gathering but a gathering to commemorate his birthday and say a prayer for him, for God permitting him to exist for 65 years on earth and so, it is very necessary to give glory to the almighty and that is exactly what we have come to do here.
‘’The man is not here but the same programme is ongoing in Osogbo which is the main one but this is for us who have his love at heart and he has no knowledge about this programme here and he is in Abuja attending Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting but because of the love we have for him, and the belief we have in God almighty there is no other person we can call upon apart from God and that is the reason we gathered here to call on God on his behalf, praise and pray that he allowed him to continue to exist and make him relevant in the scheme of things in life.’’
