It has been three years after the unfortunate visit of the men of the underworld to Okeho. Interestingly, it was a different experience when they previously visited other communities across South-West Nigeria. They met their Waterloo in the gallantry of the people of the town, who quickly mobilized the local hunters and vigilantes to foil what would have gone down in history as a catastrophic threat to the peace of the agrarian town.
Okeho people are known to be self-reliant in all they do, and just as stated in the Oriki of the town, “Ogun Idoomi-Idoopa, ogun filaani- ofilango, apaa won se ko kawon baba to biwa lomo”. This is to ascertain that Okeho people have always defeated their oppressors, just like the case of the Dahomey Invaders and the Fulanis, who disturbed the peace of various communities over a century ago.
Then, it can be concluded that Okeho is like the Biblical Jerusalem.July 29th, 2020, will always be a day to remember in the annals of Okeho when unknown gunmen attacked First Bank in Okeho, which happened to be the only functional commercial bank serving the people of Kajola, Itesiwaju and Iwajowa Local Governments. The financial transactions for the day had closed before this coordinated attack began.
However, the robbers were waylaid; they were caught as their car had an accident in town.Although this wasn’t the first time a bank robbery would happen in Okeho, the occurrence happened in 1992 when Cooperative Bank, Okeho, situated a few meters away from the exact location of the attacked bank.
Just like that of First Bank, it was also a failed robbery that year. The good people of Okeho stood their ground and fought the good fight for their darling hometown. Kudos to the police officers and the local hunters for a job wonderfully done.The attached FBN Okeho branch
Unfortunately, history repeated itself in the town 28 years after. The indomitable spirit of Okeho indigenes remains the same as they were able to quell this challenge, especially when a former MD of First Bank Plc, Mr Moyo Ajekigbe, OFR is an illustrious son of Okeho.
Three years after this incident, Okeho town and her environment have been battling with the challenge of not having a crisis not having a commercial bank in town, which now makes the town solely rely on POS operators or go to either Iseyin or Saki to sort out any bank-related issue.
Special thanks must be given to another great son of Okeho Pastor Dr Olatunde Oladokun, the CEO of SEAP Microfinance Bank, who brought a branch of the bank to Okeho, and without mincing words, this has eased the burden to some extent within the bank’s capacity.
We wouldn’t forget easily the havoc wreaked by the newly introduced new naira notes on the nation earlier this year and the huge challenge faced by the people of Okeho and her environs. They couldn’t get cash at hand, so it became a significant threat to their livelihood. This heightened the reality of not having a commercial bank dawn on the town, at least First Bank would have eased their pain as a community.
The possibility of having a new commercial bank in town was made through frantic efforts of some elders to attract the United Bank of Africa, UBA, last year.
However, nine months after the news broke out, there is no fixed time in sight when the bank will begin operations.With the antecedent of losing Cooperative Bank, Okeho, which later metamorphosed into Skye Bank and later lost Skye Bank, although not to robbery, it seems we’ve also totally lost First Bank, despite all persuasions.
There appears to be no hope of their return back to the town. Accolades must be given to stakeholders who are working earnestly towards the development of their hometown in all ramifications, but more still has to be done, particularly in resuscitating the financial transactions of the banks we have lost or new ones and when the people of Okeho are needed to crown this effort of having a financial institution in town, either by opening an account with the bank or any form of support or contribution that will make the financial institution come to reality in our town.
I implore us to do so with all our strength as doing this wouldn’t make the death of our son, who was shot dead during the incident, and that of the policeman on duty that day be in vain.May our labour towards the growth and development of our dear hometown not be in vain!
Olofin A Gbewa o
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