'At 89, I am agile and active cerebrally'

• Published date: 20 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

His palacial home stands out among the lots in the community. And to every guest at this year's annual prayer session, Adura Odun, the Ijebu Ode country home of Founder, First City Monument Bank Group, Otunba Olasubomi Balogun, is an ideal place to honour God. ADEOLA OGUNLADE reports.

'I imbibe the habit of always singing and praising God. I ascribe everything to the grace of God, that was why I was made the Asiwaju of Christianity in Ijebu Land.'

These were the words of the Founder First City Monument Bank Group, Otunba Michael Olasubomi Balogun during an annual prayer meeting of the Otunba Subomi Balogun Foundation (OSBF) in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State recently to mark the New Year.

Draped in immaculate white attire, Otunba Subomi Balogun sat patiently to host every guest at his palatial home in Ijebu Ode, which is a Mecca of a sort, especially on the Adura odun day set aside to thank God for His mercies. 'There are vicissitudes that one would experience but I am forever grateful for what God has allowed me to do at almost 90. My ambition is to live much longer. I have friends, and relations who have been so bestowed by the almighty and I am confident that God has something planned for me. I am extremely excited because it has to be like that. Somebody looks at my status and said those factors are not strong enough,' he recalled.

He said that one of the things that helped him in life is to constantly commit his ways to the Almighty God. 'Anywhere I go, I bring up what God has done for me. That helps me to modulate any possible arrogance'.

'When I was made the Asiwaju, there were a lot of people that were older than me. I was just 63 years old. I was nervous and I cried the day I was installed as the Asiwaju. The congregation was singing-Kosoro rara…

'God has been my guide and companion and I owe everything I have and I have been to him,' he said.

Subomi stressed that the significance of Adura Odun is to allow the Asiwaju to join everybody in thanking God for what He has done for all of us in the year before and asking him to continue to guard and take care of us in the New Year.

'I think that its significance is not just for Christians, but for all people. The Yoruba say if you give thanks for the favour done in the past, then you will receive more favours.

'So, the essence is that I have invited all Christians and friends. Some Muslims, too, joined me in thanking God for protecting us, providing us with everything, and giving us good health. We can now expect that...