Greetings to you all Dear Members of Yoruba Community Association, Toronto and all affiliates of this noble organisation,
I sincerely express my greetings and warm felicitations to you on the occasion of this year's yuletide season begining with the celebration of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, on Christmas day and This new year 2024. It gives me tremedous joy and excitement as The President of Yoruba Community Association, Toronto, Canada to be identiified with you in this joyous occassion of safe cross-over to the year 2024 despite the various challenges of the outgone year.
As we celebrate the happy moments with our friends and loved ones, I pray that the message of good tidings and everlasting joy shall be our portion throughout the festive period and the New year 2024.
It would be recalled that during my acceptance Speech, as the newly elected President of Yoruba Community Association, Toronto, I made a passionate appeal to all well meaning members of the association and affilliates to make our attendance at meetings a top priority as a gesture of our love, committment and dedication to our community. This I am restating again as we crossed over to the year 2024 enjoining us to share our common motivations, values, attitudes and beliefs with others in our community.
Our Welfare Department has been helping newcomers into the country; helping them to get job, assisting those in need within our capacity, referring new comers to appropriate quarters or areas for help/support.
In the same vein, we appeal to those intending to migrate to Canada to follow the normal procedures, and upon arrival obey the laws of the land. Canada is a regimented country and very different from our home country. It should be noted however, that Canada is a multi-cultural country. "Canada is a multi-cultural country. Canadians come from a vast range of nations, races, religions and heritage". In Canada everything is organised, and goes on in arithmetrical progression and not in geometrical progression. Please follow the rules and regulations. Ask questions when in doubt for clarification purpose.
Yoruba Picnic: This is our Yearly activity that always hold in July. This year's picnic day will be announced shortly. This activity is in form of festival and it attracts members of the public, from all walks of life. People come to attend this yearly festival termed ''Yoruba Picnic'' from Nigeria, USA, London, Australia etc. It is always full of pomp and pageantry and everyone is looking forward to this Picnic every year.
Yoruba Language class is on our top priority this year. Learning how to speak, comprehend and write in Yoruba is an intergral part of our highlighted program and this will be revived as soon as possible.
Late Governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu: On a sad note, on behalf of the Yoruba Community in Canada, I condole with the immediate family of the late Governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, the people of Owo and the entire people of Ondo State Nigeria on the passing of Aketi who died late last year at a time when his service to the state and the country was still much needed. Without any doubt, Governor Akeredolu’s legacy of selfless service, exemplary leadership, humility and statesmanship will be remembered for a long time by the entire people of the Sunshine State as he has left a vacuum too difficult to fill. May his gentle soul rest in peace.
The Late Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu possessed leadership qualifications that could strike, attract, and fix the attention of mankind positively. Aketi had really lived and tried in the furnace of unique events, his personality, exceptionally strong by nature, had been miraculously politically matured and strengthened. He towered above others to fight invaders in Yoruba land. His style preserved, even under the President Buhari, Aketi had a touch on security revolutionary with emphasis on security of the Yorubaland with his backing and the introduction of Amotekun Security Outfit that lives up to date.
Late Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu was a man of his words. He was very pragmatic such was the miraculous quality of his brain, he was a man of intellectual activity. His intellect was too alert not to recognise his own limitations. The most astonishing characteristic of his intellect was the multi-lateral combinations of idealism, realism and pragmatism. Aketi was indeed extra-ordinarily realistic.
Yoruba Community Association, Toronto will undoubtedly arrange for a service of song for him before, during or shortly after his burial. May God comfort his family, friends, well-wishers, Owo people, Ondo State people and Nigeria as a whole. May his soul Rest In Peace.
I wish you all Happy and Prosperous New Year - 2024.
