Why Do I Consistently Mention ErukuCity Plus Parental Guidance?
~By Oluwaseun Fabiyi
Your heritage or background plays an undeniable role in shaping your life, regardless of whether you recognize its impact. Generally, people in Lagos, abroad, or worldwide have a historical ancestry or family lineage. You can quote me anywhere.
When individuals of high stature forget their humble beginnings, they potentially forfeit the opportunity to impart valuable life lessons to their children and inadvertently become educated yet culturally uninformed
ErukuCity, located within Ekiti Local Government of Kwara State, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, agricultural excellence, impressive sports records, robust security measures, quality educational institutions, and considerable influence on Kwara State politics, which I aim to highlight in an upcoming project celebrating my hometown’s exceptional qualities.
My origins trace back to ErukuCity, where I was raised in a Muslim family with deep ties to hunting and farming. The influential legacy of Balogun Dodondawa is prominent in our family history and throughout ErukuCity. Efforts are soon to be made to compile and highlight the late Balogun’s contributions to the community.
Under Parental Guidance And Wisdom, I Began My Journey:
In our adolescent years, while residing in our hometown, our parents frequently advised us to develop a practical proficiency or business venture, confident that it would enhance, not hinder, our educational aspirations
Whenever our parents mentioned this, I felt growing frustration with their ideology, believing their lack of education contributed to their premature advocacy for vocational skills as a supplemental income stream
It never occurred to me that our parents had a profound understanding of the potential challenges the country would face in the future. During my JSS 3 year at Methodist High School in ErukuCity, I distinctly recall a particular evening when my parents summoned me, saying, ‘Oluwaseun, we recognize your exceptional abilities, calm demeanor, and promising future. As individuals who were deprived of educational opportunities, with only a few graduates in our family and lacking vocational skills, we urge you to acquire a trade or skill while pursuing your education, as it will be invaluable to you and future generations.’ Despite my parents’ efforts to dissuade me, I remained resolute, stressing that I would not compromise my academic goals initially, and subsequently, I might establish a reliable alternative source of financial support or a secondary contingency plan.
Ultimately, with our parents’ passing, we, the next generation, remain; significantly, some of us have come to appreciate and integrate the counsel offered in the 80s, following our academic accomplishments.
Considering the current economic landscape in Nigeria and Africa, it is clear that sole reliance on one income stream precludes wealth accumulation, thus necessitating the cultivation of an alternative income source, or ‘plan B.’ My upbringing and heritage have been instrumental in my professional journey, and I remain grateful for the foundational values they have imparted.
I am deeply grateful to my late parents and the entire Eruku community for their invaluable support, which has profoundly influenced my personal and professional progress.
The forthcoming Part 2 will examine the outstanding heritage and notable accomplishments of the late Balogun Dodondawa in fostering the expansion and transformation of Eruku City.
Hello, I’m Oluwaseun Fabiyi, a journalist writes from Lagos.