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Tag: Deji

  • Your actions insulting, Deji tells Igbo

    Your actions insulting, Deji tells Igbo

    The Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, has accused the Igbo in Akure of  insubordination.

    He accused them of violating the tradition of the ancient capital of Ondo State.

    The 48th Akure monarch alleged that the Igbo have no respect for him or the town’s culture.

    According to Oba Aladetoyinbo, Igbo traders often violated the town’s culture and tradition.  He said efforts to caution them had failed.

    The Deji, who spoke through the Asamo of Akure land, Rotimi Olusanya, alleged that the Eze Ndigbo, Sir Gregory Ilehohika, recently embarrassed him and some of his chiefs in his palace.

    The Igbo last week alerted to alleged plot by the Deji-in-council to dethrone the Eze Ndigbo.

    They protested against the planned closure of their businesses and markets in Akure.

    However, Oba Aladetoyinbo alleged that the Igbo trading at Mojere market recently contravened  the rules guiding the market, which he said led to the invitation of some Igbo leaders, including the Eze Ndigbo, to the palace.

    The monarch noted that the Eze Ndigbo refused to carry out his order to eject illegal traders from Mojere market.

    He stressed that Akure is reputed to be peaceful, loving, accommodating and law abiding.

    Oba Aladetoyinbo said: “We shall continue to allow integration of all Nigerians, but we will not allow anyone to degrade or trample upon our tradition and institution.”

    But the President, Ohaneze Ndigbo in Ondo State, Okechukwu Okorie, earlier said the Igbo are law abiding and peaceful, adding that they respect their traditions and those of other ethnic groups.

    He said the Igbo leaders who went to the Deji’s palace to honour his invitation were beaten up by some irate youths at the palace.

    Okorie said the Deji was being misinformed by some individuals on the activities of the Igbo in Akure.

  • Akure is next to rule Ondo, says Deji

    THE new Deji of Akure in Ondo State, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, has declared his intention to ensure that the state’s next governor is produced by Akure community.

    The monarch, who said his major ambition on the throne, was to ensure that Akure indigene becomes the next governor, added that he would use his influence and connections to ensure that his dream comes to fruition.

    Besides, he urged politicians and other eminent personalities, who were indigenes of Akure to rally round him to ensure the realisation of his dream.

    The monarch, who spoke in his palace while receiving the

    Executive Council of the Akure Community Development Forum (ACDF) led by Chief Reuben Fasoranti, said all Akure indigenes should work to ensure that the next governor comes from the town.

    Oba Aladelusi lamented that Akure, despite being the state capital, has not produced the governor since Ondo State’s creation about 40 years ago.

    The monarch expressed regret about the situation and stressed that he would do everything possible to ensure that Akure indigene becomes the next governor.

    He told the forum to put their acts together and prepare for the challenge of presenting a credible Akure man for the governorship election next year.

    The monarch regretted that indigenes of Akure have failed in the past to unite and speak with one voice, adding that the sons and daughters of Akure must speak with one voice.

    The Assistant Secretary of the forum, Mr. Eniola Olusola, urged the monarch to prevail on the state government to rehabilitate and construct more roads in Akure.

  • Ondo APC pledges support for Deji

    Ondo APC pledges support for Deji

    Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State yesterday visited the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladesuyi Aladetoyinbo, with a promise to support his reign for the development of Akure, the state capital

    Led by its Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, the APC said it would work with the traditional council.

    Kekemeke, who spoke on behalf of the APC leaders, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari is a man of integrity.

    “We want to change Nigeria and Ondo State and we know you on board as an agent of change.

    Kekemeke described Oba Aladesuyi as a person of integrity, noting that APC members are for progress and development in all spheres of life.

    His words: “Kabiyesi, we  have many things in common to develop  your domain.

    “We know by next year, we will be working together because APC is forming the next government in Ondo State.

    “We want to have a traditional rapport with the palace to have a common goal to develop Akure and the state.”

    Kekemeke condemned the protest by commercial motorcycle operators in Akure, noting that APC would not support the destruction of public property.

    Responding on behalf of the monarch, the Asamo of Akureland, High Chief Rotimi Olusanya, called for peace among APC members to facilitate development in the  state.

    The monarch said: “We want the APC slogan “change” to reflect in Akure.

    “We are not happy that since the exit of Chief Olu Falae as minister, Akure has not been considered for any political office at the centre.”

    Oba Aladesuyi urged President Buhari to appoint an Akure indigene as minister.

  • Deji of Akure sees better days ahead

    Deji of Akure sees better days ahead

    Akure, the Ondo State capital, was agog last Wednesday as the new traditional ruler of the ancient town,Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladesulu entered into the palace, reports DAMISI OJO.

    It was an exciting moment for the indigenes and residents of Akure,the Ondo State capital trooped out to witness the triumphant entry of their new monarch,Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladesulu, to the palace .

    The occasion came after the traditional ruler observed the mandatory traditional rites following his installation by the state government.

    Oba Aladesulu was accompanied  into the palace by traditional Chiefs, traditionalists, religious leaders, government officials and his wife.

    The entry into the palace signalled  the assumption of office of any Deji of Akure, as the rite climaxed the installation rites of thetraditional ruler.

    The monarch was later taken round the various sections of the palace by chiefs and various traditional rites were performed at each section of the palace.

    Major roads in Akure were blocked as a result of the ceremony, while traffic congestion was experienced in many parts of the city.

    Residents and indigenes of the city from all parts of the country and those in the Diaspora all gathered at the palace where they all pledged their loyalty to the monarch.

    Speaking at a reception held in his honour, Oba Aladesulu expressed gratitude to the state government, the kingmakers and all indigenes of

    Akure, promising to ensure rapid development of the city during his reign.

    Oba Aladesulu, who is the 47th Deji of Akure, enjoined his subjects to co-operate with him in the task of developing the city.

    The new monarch is from Osupa ruling House.He emerged the Akure’s king after he was nominated by the ruling house and approved by the kingmakers before he was presented with the staff of office by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

    His coming into the throne has afforded the Regent,Princess Adetutu Adesida to return to her base after serving Akure  by occupying the vacuum created by his father, the late Deji Oba Adebiyi Adesida who died on December 1,2003.

  • Kingmakers pick Aladetoyinbo as Deji

    •Govt to ratify today

    •Deposed monarch seeks court injunction

    Kingmakers  in Akure, the Ondo State capital, led by the Lisa, High Chief James Olusoga, yesterday picked Prince Kole Aladetoyinbo as the new Deji of Akure.

    It was gathered that he emerged the best of the 13 contestants from the Osupa ruling house.

    At a meeting held yesterday at Asamo’s palace, sources said Aladetoyinbo  was the kingmakers’ unanimous choice.

    He may be installed this week, following the approval of the government.

    A source at the meeting said Aladetoyinbo emerged after careful observance of all traditional rites.

    The Osupa ruling house had on Friday forwarded a list of nominees to the kingmakers after a meeting at the home of its Chairman, Dr. Aladejana Ogunleye.

    The meeting was attended by officials of Akure South Local Government Area, who were there to supervise the proceedings.

    The nominees included Kayode Oluwole, Adegbola Adelabu, Adegbite

    Kayode, Adejuyigbe Femi, Adeolu Adepoju, Aladetoyinbo Kole Patrick and

    Agbebi Leye.

    Others were Arimoyo Ayodele, Bello Oluyemisi, Daramola Adeyemi, Ade

    Falodun, Ogunsuyi Oluwole and Samuel Adegboro Adebayo.

    The deposed Deji, Adesina Adepoju, at the weekend sought a court injunction to restrain the kingmakers from selecting a new Deji.

    Adepoju, whose name was missing on the list, hails from the Osupa ruling house.

    He claimed that he was still entitled to contest for the stool, as, according to him, he was wrongly removed by the government.

    Sources said the kingmakers were served with the court order last Friday.

    The government dethroned Adepoju on June 10, 2010 for allegedly battering his wife, the late Mrs. Bolanle Adepoju

    Mrs. Adepoju, who died in 2012, said the incident that led to her husband’s banishment was exaggerated.

    The development led to the installation of the late Oba Adebiyi Adesida from Ojijigogun ruling house, who was installed in 2010 as the 46th Deji of Akure.

    He died on December 1, 2013. His daughter, Princess Adetutu Adesida, was installed the Regent of Akure kingdom.

  • 14 months after, Akure waits for new Deji

    14 months after, Akure waits for new Deji

    Amidst agitations in Akure by the indigenes for the installation of a new Oba for their kingdom, DAMISI OJO examines why it is taking rather long for the kingmakers to choose another Deji of Akure, following the death of Oba Adebiyi Adesida (Afunbiowo II) in December 2013.

    The hope of Akure indigenes at home and in the Diaspora to have a new king to rule over their kingdom may not be fulfilled any time soon, 14 months after the immediate past Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida (Afunbiowo II) joined his ancestors.

    Deji-of-AkureAlthough 13 princes from Osupa Ruling House, whose turn it is to produce the next Deji had signified their intention to occupy the throne, a court case instituted by a former occupant Oludare Adepoju Adesina, who was deposed on June 10, 2010 by the Ondo State government is stalling the selection of the new king.

    Former Oba Adepoju Adesina was dethroned and banished from the kingdom by the state government for allegedly assaulting his wife, late Olori Mojisola Adesina in public. Now sojourning in the United Kingdom, the deposed Deji was kept incommunicado for several months after he lost his position before being allowed to leave the country. Adesina is from Osupa ruling house.

    Following his removal and in line with Akure custom and tradition which abhors vacuum in the palace, a new Deji had to be appointed and late Oba Adebiyi Adesida from Ojijigogun royal family who ruled for only three years was installed. He died on December 1, 2013. With his exit, it is customary that the first daughter of the departed Deji must ascend the throne.

    Asa result, Princess Adetutu Adesida was mandated to leave her job in United States of America [USA] to answer the call of her people to become the regent of Akure Kingdom following the death of her father, Oba Adebiyi Adesida.

    The Regent,  a licensed Pharmacist in Huston, Texas, United States during her installation on January 4, 2014 said she was ready to continue from where her late father, Oba Adesida stopped.

    She expressed her commitment to working with the Ondo State Government in developing the state capital.

    According to her “by the special grace of God, we will continue to develop Akure, to build up the people of Akure kingdom and bring advancement to all and for Akure to be known worldwide”.

    The Regent equally advised the kingmakers to be meticulous in choosing a new king for the town, saying “I will plead with the kingmakers to seek for God intervention first before embarking on the selection of a new monarch for the ancient community.

    “With the help of God, the kingmakers will be able to choose the right person that will be the next Deji for Akure”.

    When asked during her installation if she knew the time the new king will be installed, the regent said it is only God who could determine the time when a new king would emerge.

    But she said “the regency cannot disturb my role as a mother, wife and as a career woman. I have taken a leave of absence from my place of work in U.S, my husband knows that I am a princess before he agreed to marry me and he also knows that anytime my father died as a king, I have to assume this position, so there won’t be any problem.

    “I know this is a duty I have to perform, so I have called on my God to help me to succeed in this journey. I also pray that God should help the kingmakers to choose the right person to be the next king of the town.”

    It is more than one year that Princess Adetutu Adesida has been on the throne as regent and nobody knows when she would vacate the throne for the next Deji of Akure who by rotation must come from Osupa Ruling House.

    According to the Secretary of the Osupa Ruling House, Prince Olu Adegboro in a chat with ‘The Nation, the State government had initially mandated the ruling house to nominate aspirants for the throne for screening by the kingmakers.

    According to him, “we had already made necessary arrangements to screen about 13 aspirants who have shown interests.

    “We have made them to fill bio-data form that would enable the screening committee to know about their credentials and have sufficient information about their pedigrees.

    Adesina-foto“As we are about starting the process, we received another letter from the state government asking us to put on hold the earlier arrangement because the deposed Deji, Adepoju Adesina had gone to court to file a notice of injunction against the commencement of the selection process”.

    The secretary who is a former commissioner for information in the state however said they were confident that within the shortest time possible, the court would vacate the injunction.

    Asked about the chances of the deposed Deji to return to the throne, Prince Adegboro said “truly, we are from the same Osupa Ruling House (Odundun Descendants inclusive) but we are not comfortable with Adesina’s action since he had the opportunity to go to court before the other ruling house (Ojijigogun) presented the last Deji, late Oba Adebiyi Adesida.

    “What he did then according to reliable sources was to appeal to state government to lift his banishment and gave an assurance that he would abide with the decision of the government”.

  • ‘Deji’s selection must follow due process’

    THE Ondo State Council of Obas has urged kingmakers and heads of ruling houses in Akure, the state capital, to follow due process in the selection of a new Deji.

    It said this would sustain the peace in the town.

    The monarchs, led by the council’s former Chairman and the Amapetu of Mahin Kingdom, Oba Lawrence Omowole, made the plea during a condolence visit to the family of the late Deji, Oba Adebiyi Adesida.

    They hailed Akure residents for complying with the seven-day funeral rites for the late Oba Adesida.

    Describing the late Deji as an advocate of peace and justice, they said his love for his people stood him out.

    The monarchs urged the Akure Council of Chiefs to ensure that the

    Deji’s demise does not affect the town’s administration.

    The council’s spokesman, Oba Lawrence Omowole, said the late Oba Adesida would be missed for his kindness and unique approach to issues.

    He said: “We urge you to be calm and see the passage of the late Deji as the will of God. We are here to sympathise with you. His death came when we needed him most.”

  • Deji finally fulfils childhood dream

    Deji finally fulfils childhood dream

    Dreams, indeed, diehard for Deji Olarinoye, following his transition from a ball boy to the Golden Eaglets’ physician at the 2013 UAE FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

    It all looks like yesterday when a blue-eyed boy served as a ball boy during a crucial 1994 World Cup qualifier against Algeria at the National Stadium in Lagos. That experience was a turning point for the younger Olarinoye who vowed not to do anything in life other than a career in sport, writes MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.

    It was that desire that made him turn his full attention to sports medicine and the dream of that ball boy of yesterday has crystallised so much so he’s making his debut at an international tournament.

    “I’m lucky to have come from a background where almost everything I knew was sports,” said Olarinoye who graduated from the University of Ilorin in 2008. “I virtually eat and drink sport but football was my favourite.”

    Deji is the scion of Dr. Steve Olarinoye, erstwhile Head of International Competitions at the Nigeria Football Federation, and the current coordinator of the south-west zone of the Nigerian Sports Commission (NSC) in Ibadan.

    “Though my parents are involved in sports, I had this burning desire to play football but my dad especially wanted me to focus my attention on education, of which I have no regret today,” explained the young man.

    “In fact, my love for football and my desire to contribute to the development of the game made me vow to become a sport physician some 15 years ago.

    “Apart from serving as a ball boy during a match between the Super Eagles and the Fennecs of Algeria at the National Stadium in Surulere, I was excited to see the medical team attend to players and that really influenced my decision to turn my attention to sports medicine.”

    Young and energetic, Deji brings so much passion to his job and his puritanical devotion was there for all to see,with the manner he discharges his duty with the Golden Eaglets.

    “ Frankly, the role of a team physician is very tasking,” noted Deji in apt reference to the challenges he has to cope with, especially with the novel Magnetic Image Resonance (MRI) Test recently put in place by the world soccer ruling body, FIFA. “First and foremost, you must be equipped with the knowledge and be abreast with any new development.

    “Sports medicine, for instance, is multi-disciplinary and as the head of a medical team, you must not be found wanting; so it is a continuous learning process and good enough, I’m working under technocrats who have varied experiences with the national teams even before I was born!

    “ By and large, it is an interesting job because it allows me the opportunity to enjoy the sport I really love so much despite the fact that I couldn’t fulfil the dream of making it as professional player,” he reasoned.

    Like in all profession, you must earn people’s trust, and this, according to Dr. Deji, as he’s fondly called in the National-Under-17 set up, is very important or as Ernest Hemingway put it: ‘The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.’

    “Footballers are special people,” declared Deji, whose other past time is playing table tennis and surfing the internet. “But as a sports physician, you need to understand what they go through so that they can have confidence in you because the job could be difficult if they don’t have your trust.

    “My priority is to ensure that the players are in good medical condition so that they can give their optimal best and I do go the extra mile in order to ensure that the players are ready, fit for the rigours of their job.”

    On a lighter note, Deji still rued the fact he never fulfilled the expectations of his secondary teacher who noted, inter alia, on his report card: ‘the boy who will play for Nigeria.’

    Said he: “Well, at my own level, I played football on the streets as well as in school. In fact, I was the captain of my school’s medical team.

    “Of course, it would have been nice to play football to the highest level especially with the kind of money being earned by professional footballers today, but I’m fulfilled being involved with the game in another relevant capacity,” added Dr. Deji

  • Akure monarchs defy Deji

    •Say ‘only Mimiko can depose us’

    Some monarchs in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State yesterday flouted the order of Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, who deposed them.

    Oba Adesida was allegedly aggrieved because the affected Obas did not get his blessings before they accepted appointments into positions.

    But the monarchs insisted that they would remain on the throne notwithstanding their deposition by the Deji-in-Council

    They argued that they were appointed by the prescribed authorities in the local government area, stressing that only the authorities can dethrone them.

    According to the Olu of Alayere, Prince Adeniran Aladetoyinbo, who spoke on behalf of the other Obas, only the person who appointed them has the right to sack them, noting that their domain is not in Akure South but in Akure North.

    Oba Adesida, who is a paramount ruler in Akure kingdom, has ordered the deposition of the monarchs in his domain, for not getting his nod before they took up appointments.

    He maintained that the Aladeyede Ogbese and others have been elevated to the status of an Oba but that the elevation does not confer authority beyond his territory on him.

    Aladetoyinbo, however, said the prescribed authorities in Akure North are the Alayede Ogbese, Oloba of Oba-Ile, Okiti of Iju and Ogbolu of Ita-Ogbolu, without Deji, who is from Akure South Local Government Area.

    According to him, the prescribed authorities have given them letters of recognition and no other person could withdraw it.

    Aladetoyinbo said only the state governor, (Dr. Olusegun Mimiko), who is the consenting authority and who appoints and gives staff of office and instrument of office to any monarch, has the right to depose erring royal fathers.

    The monarch contended that by virtue of the Land Use Decree of 1978, all lands belong to the government and only it can revoke the certificate of occupancy and not any first class monarch.

    He said they would remain in their palaces in defiance of Deji’s directive.

    Aladetoyinbo argued that the Deji of Akure have no power to dethrone them