Indigenes, others remember ruler

Ikorodu indigenes in Lagos State have celebrated the fifth remembrance of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi.

Committee and members of the Oba Salaudeen Afolabi Adekoya Oyefusi Foundation were joined by the late monarch’s family and guests at the Royal Castle of Mercy, Oba Oyefusi Avenue, off Lagos Road, Ikorodu.

The ceremony began with Fidau, after which the foundation’s secretariat was inaugurated by the Chairman of Amen Estate, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi.

Guests later moved to Ikorodu General Hospital, where items, including two dozens of plastic chairs, three sets of standing fans and suction machines were donated by the foundation.

They also visited Lagos State Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Ikorodu and donated 10 cartons of noodles, three bags of rice, one bag of beans, a set of computer system, six sets of ceiling fan, a large light-emitting diode television (LED) and a lawn mower, among others.

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Chairman of the foundation’s Board of Trustees Otunba Adewale Rafiu, who presented items to the beneficiaries, said the foundation had fulfilled what beneficiaries asked for.

He assured them that the foundation would do more.

Rafiu said the gestures were in accordance with the legacy of the late monarch.

“The foundation is meant to empower the needy and create an enabling environment for the poor to acquire skill,” he added.

Gbadamosi, who chaired the occasion, said the inauguration would make the late monarch to be remembered forever by Ikorodu indigenes and Lagosians.

He said it would also help sustain his credibility and make his legacy live forever.

Gbadamosi described the monarch as a man that loved peace and harmony.

“He showed love to his wife, his children, indigenes of Ikorodu and others …

“He was a builder of men and women. He built Ikorodu city, which he met as a village. He left behind legacies of progress, security and expansion because no company came to Ikorodu and never became something to be celebrated in the world. It was in his time that a lot of progress that we see now manifested.

“However, we are struggling at the moment to cope with his exit. The struggle you see in Ikorodu over the four years has been the result of the vacuum created by his absence. We are beginning to realise that the monarch is gone,” he said.

Wife of the monarch Olori Muyibat said the king was remembered for his prayers.

“He loved to pray a lot. He could pray for hours, he was a prayer warrior. He was a caring husband; he was the King Solomon of our time. He ruled with wisdom and diplomacy. We have been practising his legacies since he died and they will forever live in our hearts.

“His love for prayers made us invite the Islamic clerics to pray for him at the palace’s mosque,” she said.

Ex-Deputy Governor Chief Sinatu Ojikutu described the monarch as a man of dignity, saying he made the Office of Obaship to be reckoned with by the government.

She described the wife as the most glamorous queen of our time, noting that she stood firmly behind her husband.

“She is practising what her husband was doing when he was alive and that means that the monarch is still living,” she said”

Deputy Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government Princess Folashade Oba described the monarch as a true father that stood for the truth.

“He sacrificed everything to make Ikorodu a peaceful place to live for indigenous people and non-indigenes. The successful and energetic entrepreneurs in Ikorodu will know that something is missing in Ikorodu as they know the part the monarch played…”

She said his legacies would always be in place through the foundation, adding that he would forever be celebrated and his history would remain from generation to generation.

The foundation’s Executive Secretary, Prince Wale Oyefusi, said it is designed to empower the indigenes and non-indigenes of Ikorodu.

“The foundation is to further in the legacy of the late monarch, which includes affecting lives, supporting education and empowering others. With this foundation, we will be able to continue what the late monarch was known for.”

“We have donated what is needed to the home and the hospital. This is what the late monarch liked to do, to touch the lives of others and meet the challenging needs in the society,” he said.

Dr. Taiwo Hassan of the General Hospital, Ikorodu, prayed for financial strength for the foundation and wished the late monarch a blissful paradise and his household long life and prosperity.

The Principal of Lagos State Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disabilities, Ikorodu, Mrs. Abiola Morayesa, thanked the foundation, saying the late monarch  would never be forgotten for his kind gestures to the less privileged ones.