Under My Leadership, Up ASSO Will Remain The Foremost Social Club - President, Dr. ADETOKUNBO ADEDEJI

President of Association of Friends, Dr. ADETOKUNBO ADEDEJI

 Dr. Adetokunbo Adedeji is a Medical Doctor. And he is a distinguished one at that. He is now the new President of the Association of Friends, one of the leading social clubs in Nigeria, also called Up Asso.

He was installed at the 2021 Presidential Gala Night on Sunday, 14th November 2021, at the Club House along Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Lagos.

At the Presidential Gala Night, where new members were also inducted, he spoke about his plans for the club and how he and his Management Committee (2021-2023) intend to take the club to greater heights.

 

It is with great humility and a strong sense of appreciation that I Dr. Adetokumbo Adedeji stand here before you as the President of the Association of Friends to welcome you all members and guests on this our special occasion of our Presidential Gala Night and Induction Ceremony. The advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted so negatively on our social, economic, and political life that this has resulted in a re-arrangement of the order in which we carry on with our life events. Our administration took office in early February 2021 after our elections without much fanfare and we got to work in Ernest against all odds. Today marks the first public proclamation of this management team since inception and on behalf of the team, I wish you all season’s greetings.

Our club was founded 43 years ago in 1978 by a group of friends who had socially bonded and were inspired to build a club to perpetuate their spirit of friendship. Their tribulations and success endure till today. We give glory and adoration to the Almighty God for giving them the wherewithal to carry on and nurture this legacy that we cherish and adore today. Some have passed to the great beyond while others are alive and strong today. I salute the Life Chairman, Alhaji Sule Onabiyi, the Okonlomo of Egbaland, in whose house the first ASSO meeting was held, Pioneer President, Otunba Festus Adeleke Adesina, the Pioneer Vice President Eng. Akanni Akinlawon Abiola. They are all alive and remain the backbone of the club. May you all live long for us in good health and wealth. May God grant eternal rest to the departed pioneer members. Oba Fatai Irawo, Gabby Yadua, Gbenga Oshinowo, Oba Abimbola Akinyemi, Mr Funsho Kinoshi etc. Through self-efforts, these men strove to build this edifice without taking a loan from anywhere. Their selfless contributions in cash and kind gave birth to this edifice and a great opportunity to mentor and groom the younger ones who joined as members. We celebrate these efforts happily every day that we gather here and we take the challenge to strengthen the sustainability of the club beyond our time. So help us, God. Fortune smiled on us a few years ago when one of the greatest Philanthropists of our time in the person of High Chief Sir, Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu, the Asoju Oba of Lagos and the Odole Odua, extended his arm of philanthropy to us with a donation of N55m.

This singular donation changed the fortune of this club for good. Today we can boast of an ultramodern Sports center within our premises through this gesture. We remain eternally grateful to our Patron BABA IJEBU. May you live long in good health. May your deeds open the path to eternal Paradise in the hear after Amen. Time will not permit us today, but you are welcome to visit our sports center comprising of the Table Tennis section, the Gym Section, the Spa & Massage Section and the Ayo & games sections. A snooker table adorns the hall as you enter the pavilion.

Today is a day of personal joy in the club. I have many of my childhood friends present here today at this epoch gathering and I am hopeful that many of them will support us with their financial contributions and donations. We have great hopes that this club will grow from strength to strength and continue to render our corporate and social responsibilities to our immediate community and the country at large. lt is pertinent to mention that in fulfilling our corporate and social responsibilities, we, under the able leadership of our I. P. P, took charge of restoring the sights of members of the Onigbongbo community next to us two years ago. We gave corrective eyeglasses to about 80 people and undertook surgical intervention

expenses for extraction of CATARACTS and restoration of sights to additional 40 people. All at our own expense. We remain ever grateful to Dr. HASSAN and the Eye Foundation Hospital who subsidized the surgeries at the IJEBU-ODE branch of the Foundation. As a follow-up to this venture, we will be teaming up with LIONS CLUB on the 20th of this month in this same community to follow up on the services that we love to give back to society.

We appeal to or invite guests to be mindful of some of the activities we render in service of humanity. We all owe it to our society in these trying times. I will seize this opportunity to appeal to the State Government to assist us in introducing Health Insurance Coverage to the non-organized sector of society. I must commend the State Government in this regard. I proudly mentioned the fact that it is only the Lagos State Government that has introduced this program in all the states of the federation.. 1 told the listening audience at the Federal Ministry of Health last week when I went to deliver a paper on the Health Effects of Climate Change prior to their departure for COP 26 held in Scotland. We need the help of the state to direct the machinery of the Government to enable this community to enroll their families to enjoy the benefits of this scheme. A number of 12 new members are due to be inducted today. This is quite a high number going by our previous experience. We attribute this to the fact that COVID-19 got in the way of doing business in the last two years. These new members are the latest to enroll in the club to join a host of eminent personalities who enjoy the membership of the club.

Our drive is to ensure that ASSO remains one of the foremost social clubs and a place to belong. When you join us you will love us. Our club is one that promotes discipline, integrity and accountability. “ASSO NEVER

LIES” is our watchword. Members are indoctrinated to imbibe the spirit of Friendship, Love and Charity. We aspire to nobility in our club. We will use our core values to spread the change of civility in our society. These critical values need to be revived in this our trying times where moral decadence seems to be permeating society. So help us, God. Let me reiterate here that these values have held the membership of the club together and the number is growing. I, therefore, seize this opportunity to congratulate all members and ask us to render the ASSO ANTHEM as soon as I end my speech.

In appreciation of the contribution of the persons of DAAR COMMUNICATIONS, BISCON GROUP, and CITY PEOPLE MAGAZINE, we want you to join us in congratulating these organizations personified by their founders who are here in our midst to take awards conferred on them and their organizations. We have the utmost respect for their grit and doggedness to strive and survive thus far in this hostile business climate without caring whose ox is gored. We salute your courage and we admonish you to foster the growth and development of our teeming population that are evidently favored with great endowment and potentials. Once again on behalf of the members of ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS, I say congratulations to you and your organization. They say charity begins at home”.

Being The Speech Delivered By The President Of Association Of Friends Dr. Adetokunbo Adedeji At The Presidential Night And Induction Of New Members.