By Jimoh Ahmed, Owo
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All roads led to Owo last Saturday as children, families, friends and well wishers celebrated Group Captain Stephen Oluwole Daramola on the occasion of his birthday anniversary.
Popularly called SOD, Daramola, a retired Naval Officer, turned 80 at the weekend.
To celebrate their father, his children organised a high profile birthday celebration in his honour.
The celebration started with a thanksgiving service at the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun DCC Headquarters, Igboroko-Nla, Owo.
At the well attended event, the Owo District Council Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church, Pastor Benjamin Olayinka, presided over the programmes of the day.
In his exhortation at the service, Pastor Olayinka commended the celebrant for his decision to start a foundation, the Daramola Scholarship/Empowerment Foundation.
The ODCC Superintendent however, urged members of the public to support the foundation to achieve its set objectives.
He also enjoined others to emulate him in this wise.
Speaking at the occasion, the celebrant, Group Captain Daramola (Rtrd), said he decided to establish the foundation to give education, up to university level, to the less privileged children in the society and also to assist people who are vulnerable.
He was later joined by his children, family members, associates and other well wishers to give God the glory in letting him see the day.
According to him, attaining 80 is purely by the special grace of God. He said his life from the early years and adult life has been that of illness and accidents which ordinarily should have claimed his life but for God, he is still living today.
Daramola told the gathering that in his career as a naval man, he survived an aircraft crash which saw him being hospitalized for long and even had to be flown abroad at a time.
The church service was attended by the Olowo of Owo, Oba(Dr) Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, the Ojomoluda of Ijebu-Owo, Oba Kofoworola Ojomo and other traditional rulers from within and outside Owo Local Government, the Ondo State Commissioner for Works, Engineer Raheem Aminu, among prominent people at the event.
Guests were later treated to a grand reception at the Midas Resort and Hotels, along Ikare Road, Owo.
At the reception, guests wine and dined while a traditional musician treated them with the ever popular Owo traditional songs.
Similarly at the event, a book SOD The Survivalist: Memoirs Of and Tributes on Group Captain Stephen Oluwole Daramola (rtd), was unveiled while the celebrant also cut a giant birthday cake to mark the day.
