By Ade Iyamoye
Veteran community leader and former National President of Iyamoye Development Union (IDU), Chief Aderemi Medupin, PhD, has issued a clarion call to the leadership of IDU and the traditional institution of Iyamoye, urging them to rise above personal interests and embrace courage, sincerity, and objectivity in tackling the community’s developmental challenge.
Speaking during an exclusive interview, Chief Medupin, the Alayi of Iyamoye, bemoaned the current state of affairs in Iyamoye, attributing the lack of progress to leadership failure, particularly within the IDU, which he said was originally established to champion development but has strayed from its mandate.
He challenged IDU to double their development initiatives and speak truth to power for the good of all instead of keeping silent and appearing to be indifferent.
In his words: “The IDU leadership must wake up from its slumber and confront the issues suffocating our community.”
He recounted a personal experience where a critical portion of his interview with IDU media representatives was deliberately omitted; an act he sees as symptomatic of the fear of truth and a culture of parochial self-interest dominating leadership decisions.
He warned that selfishness blinds: “It leads to irrational thinking and spontaneous idiocy. “When this becomes the norm in a community, the result is stagnation, and that is what we are witnessing today,” he lamented.
Chief Medupin called on both the IDU and the traditional institution, led by the Obaro, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ibrahim Ademiluyi Momoh, the ‘Afiwajoye 1 of Iyamoye, to reflect on the history of Iyamoye, which emerged from multiple autonomous settlements united by a shared vision of progress.
He emphasized that this historical unity and purpose must be rekindled.“The Obaro must also borrow courage, sincerity, and objectivity. Only with these values can the community reclaim its glory and forefront position in Ijumu and indeed Okun land.”
According to him, once the IDU and the traditional leadership adopt these principles, they should mobilize the sons and daughters of Iyamoye, especially those in the diaspora, to contribute meaningfully to the town’s growth.
Touching on the role of youths, Chief Medupin stressed that young people are both current stakeholders and future custodians of the community.
He called for urgent moral reorientation through schools, religious bodies, and traditional platforms to instill discipline, hard work, and a sense of purpose.
“Our youth must shun vices like internet fraud and examination malpractice. The future belongs to them, and we must prepare them with values that build, not destroy,” he emphasized.
The veteran community leader warned that unless bold steps are taken by current leaders, the fears for Iyamoye’s future will no longer be speculative but a tragic reality.
“If these recommendations are ignored, what awaits us is not just a fear; it is a certainty of doom,” he warned.
The statesman’s message comes at a critical time when many in the community are expressing concerns about leadership inertia, divisiveness, and underdevelopment.
His charge offers a sobering reminder of the urgent need for renewed commitment to truth, unity, and progress in Iyamoye.
