The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III has cheered up the family of the late football star, Sam Ojebode who passed on after a protracted battle with cancer.
The royal father built a house for the fallen star’s family, a gesture which also lifted the spirits of people across the state.
Ojebode, died last month after a long battle with lung cancer but he is yet to be buried. He was a captain of the IICC Shooting Stars Football Club of Ibadan and later Chairman, Board of Management of the club after it was renamed 3SC.
The monarch brought joy to the family by completing the four bedroom bungalow the late footballer could not finish in his lifetime. Ojebode, according to family members, had laid the foundation of the house in 1976 but could not build it before his death. He abandoned it at the foundation level.
The necessity for the completion, however, became pressing when he died and had no place he could call his own that he could be buried.
In finding a solution, Ojebode’s younger brother, Bamidele, approached the monarch for assistance in completing the house in preparation for the burial. Moved by the plight of the family, the Alaafin took up the challenge and funded the completion of the building. It was completed within one week, according to Ojebode’s brother, James, the work being personally supervised by the monarch.
Most people did not know that Ojebode hailed from Oyo town, having spent a major part of his career years in Ibadan, the state capital, until the monarch’s gesture popularised the fact. The Sam Ojebode House is located at Isale Oyo area of the ancient town.
Mr. James Ojebode, a retired insurance broker, expressed sadness over his brother’s death, describing it as a loss to the family and Nigeria as a whole. On the other hand, he was satisfied that his brother’s wish of having him buried in his hometown was accomplished through the kind gesture of the monarch.
The septuagenarian said he was amazed that the structure was supervised by the monarch himself, whom he described as a kind-hearted man, adding that Alaafin has also promised to sink a borehole in the house.
His words: ”I have mixed feelings with the death of my younger brother, a sad one because we have lost an irreplaceable gem in our family but I’m happy because he will finally be buried in our hometown here.
“The building was completed within seven days and it was even supervised by the monarch himself. He is a kind-hearted man and his assistance will forever be remembered by the whole Ojebode’s family because we have been confused on how to complete this building ahead of his burial but God used the Alaafin for us”
Ojebode thanked the monarch on behalf of his family for his kind gesture and for lifting their family name among the populace.
Speaking with the first child of the late footballer, Mr Olumide Ojebode, he said he could not quantify the joy in his heart for what the monarch has done for the family.
Olumide, who is the Technical Coach of the Oyo State Amateur team, said: ”I cannot define the extent of my gratitude to the Alaafin for this building; it is indeed a kind gesture.”
While handing the keys of the building to the family, Alaafin explained that the completion of the building was the only thing he could do to assist his family members and also to honour the late footballer for bringing glory to the country.
The monarch said he was happy when his family members came to inform him of their intention to make Ojebode’s final resting place to be in Oyo town which was what informed the assistance he rendered to complete the befitting house to honour him.
Oba Adeyemi said he spent over N5 million on the structure.
He said that Sam Ojebode contributed immensely to the development of football in Nigeria and even deserved more than he is doing. The monarch expressed displeasure that celebrities and sports men and women who have brought fame to the name of the country are easily forgotten after their demise, citing an Ojebode and Rashidi Yekini as example.
The monarch also asked the Chairman, Atiba Local Government, Mr Akeem Adeyemi to drill a borehole at the house and also tar the road leading to it.
“Late Samuel Ojebode has brought fame to this town, state and this entire country for his contribution to the development and recognition of football.
That is why I am honouring his memory by completing this building he could not complete ahead of his burial when his family came to me that they wanted his final resting place to be in Oyo. So we completed it within seven days and I spent over N5 million on it.
“It is disheartening to note that people that have contributed to the development of the sport sector are easily erased from our memory and that is why Nigeria has been performing woefully in this sector over the years. Our government should have a policy formulation whereby there will be incentives to encourage our sport men and women to excel in sport competitions”
