•Tinubu, Obasanjo, Abiodun, others grace installation as Asiwaju
Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf captures the sights and sounds of the official installation ceremony of Dr. Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa and his wife, Fatima, as the Asiwaju and Yeye Asiwaju/Arobake of Ijebuland, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
In a manner of speaking, penultimate Saturday will go down in the annals of Ijebuland’s history as a memorable day. It was the day the famous town and ancestral homestead of one of the most revered monarchs in Nigeria, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, hosted a global audience in celebration of one of the illustrious sons of the kingdom, a famous industrialist and philanthropist, Chief (Dr.) Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, and his adorable wife, Fatima.
The occasion was the official installation ceremony of the couple who were being decorated with one of the most coveted traditional titles in the land: the Asiwaju of Ijebuland and Yeye Asiwaju/Arobake of Ijebuland respectively, at a ceremony held at the Oba Adetona Golden Jubilee Centre, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
To say the occasion was a showstopper is to state the obvious. It was a mixture of glitz, glam, revelry and fanfare!
Signs that the occasion was going to be a talk-of-the-town were so apparent that a first-time visitor to Ijebu-Ode, located on the highway between Sagamu and Benin City, would be mesmerised by the ecstatic mood of the otherwise quiet neighbourhood.
Our correspondent observed that the town was not just in a festive mood; a cursory view of the different neighbourhoods right from the Ijebu-Ode motor-park showed the obvious: the entire landscape was dotted by billboards and signage announcing the august event with inscriptions written in English and the local Ijebu dialect all welcoming kith and kin, visitors and strangers to savour the town in its full glory!
Drummers, horse-riders, dances, flutists, among other performers, added to the pomp and glamour for the five hours the programme lasted with intermittent interludes to allow organisers carry out some salient tasks in keeping with the schedule.
The event, which began a little after midday, was heralded by the national Awujale anthem, a sort of cognomen and panegyrics of the royal deified as a god, as chants of “Orisha Ijebu, Orisha Ijebu” rent the air with many sons and daughters of the Ijebuland throwing banter and exchanging random banalities
Thereafter the Adegunwas were turbaned in a ceremony witnessed by the Awujale himself and his wife, Olori Kemi Adetona, among other guests.
The highpoint of the occasion was the admission of the oath of office on the Adegunwas amid cheers and acknowledgements by well-wishers. Shortly after the administration of the oath of office on the couple, there were fireworks and callisthenic displays in different hues and colours that added flavour to the feisty occasion.
Expectedly, the Adegunwas were not just the cynosure of all eyes, they were also described in affectionate and superlative terms.
Top on the list of admirers who praised the Adegunwas to high heavens was President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who arrived in the company of Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, acknowledging cheers from a packed audience.
In his glowing tribute to the Ijebu-Ode born entrepreneur, Shettima described him in superlative adjectives, even as he acknowledged his diligence, resilience and resourcefulness.
While noting that Chief Adegunwa is a legend and one of the greatest sons of Africa, Ijebuland and Nigeria as a whole, Shettima recalled that their paths crossed two years ago when he was hosted to a dinner at the country home of the Adegunwas in Ososa.
According to him, one of the testaments to the celebrator’s love for humanity are his corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that dot the landscape across the country.
“Chief Adegunwa is a man worthy of emulation and certainly deserving of the title being bestowed on him and his wife, Mrs Fatima Adegunwa. On this joyous occasion, may your leadership bring peace, love and progress to Ijebuland,” he said.
The President, who spoke shortly after the installation of the business mogul, described him as a striking personality of immense humility despite his invaluable contributions to business enterprise and creations of jobs for thousands of Nigerians.
He said: “As we celebrate the conferment of Asiwaju of Ijebuland on Pa Sulaiman Adegunwa and Yeye Asiwaju Arobake of Ijebuland on his wife, we have to recognise that he is a legend of his time.
“He is one of the greatest sons of Ijebuland and Africa, who has actively contributed to the advancement of industry and enterprise in Nigeria.”
Speaking earlier, Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who heaped encomiums on the Adegunwas, said the couple was most deserving of the title of Asiwaju and Yeye Asiwaju/Arobake of Ijebuland.
He said: “It is indisputably correct that Dr. Adegunwa and his wife duly deserve this honour from all indications going by what they have contributed to humanity and enduring legacies.
“The main contributions of the Adegunwas to the real sector of Nigeria’s economy are indeed unquantifiable and worthy of commendation. Baba Adegunwa’s business and philanthropic activities span over six decades.”
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Expatiating, Governor Abiodun, who said Baba Adegunwa was a forward-thinking person, recalled that the latter was able to easily diversify into other areas including banking, real estate, agriculture and education, because he moved with the times.
“Baba knew that it was time to move beyond the photo laboratory and soon went into food business, and today he is the Chairman of Rite Foods. The seed of growth and degree of Rite foods across the country is unbelievable. Baba’s slogan is I can.”
Abiodun, who expressed optimism that the new Asiwaju would bring his immense wealth of experience to bear on his role to the admiration of the people of Ijebuland, thanked the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona II, for the well-deserved honour to the Adegunwas.
Earlier in his address, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, represented by the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Dr Sunny Kuku, stated that the invaluable contributions of Adegunwa and his wife to enhancing the socio-economic development of Ijebuland and Nigeria as a whole, as well as their support and loyalty to the Awujale’s throne, made them worthy of the befitting honour.
Kuku, who recalled the great exploits of the Adegunwas over the years, noted matter-of-factly that his association with the honouree dates back to over 50 years, stressing that the latter have continued to promote the ideas and ideals of socio-economic development to the admiration of all.
While responding to the well-wishes, the host, who was effusive with praises for the royal father and the council of chiefs, assured that he would live up to their expectations.
The industrialist pledged to remain committed to serving humanity and enhancing socio-economic development across Ijebuland and Nigeria.
The title of Asiwaju of Ijebuland was first held by the late Chief Samuel Sonibare, a property merchant and notable politician.
He was succeeded by a former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the late Prof Adebayo Adedeji, who died in April 2018.
Guests at the elaborate event included the Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele and her husband, Bode Oyedele; former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his wife, Bola; former governors of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, Segun Osoba, and Gbenga Daniel, who is currently representing Ogun East at the Senate.
Others were the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa; the Secretary to Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi; onetime deputy governor Gbenga Kaka, other members’ of the Ogun State Council, Hon. Femi Ogunbanwo, representing Ijebu Central, paramount rulers of Yewa and Egbaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and Oba Adedotun Gbadebo respectively, among others.
As the dignitaries filled out from the pavilion, the unspoken words in the minds of many others, especially indigenes of the town who also witnessed the august occasion, was that the momentous occasion would last in the memory.
