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Tag: Oba Samuel Odulana

  • Olubadan designate: I will sustain Oba Odulana’s legacies

    Olubadan designate: I will sustain Oba Odulana’s legacies

    The Olubadan designate, High Chief Saliu Adetunji, has promised to sustain the legacies of his immediate predecessor, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1.

    Adetunji made the promise in an interview with The Nation in his Popoyemoja, Ibadan residence Monday.

    He will be crowned as the 41st Olubadan of Ibadan at the historic Mapo Hall on Friday.

    When asked about his plan for the throne, High Chief Adetunji said he would sustain the virtues of integrity, honesty and wisdom which were the hallmark of Oba Odulana.

    The high chief recalled with fond memories how Oba Odulana displayed wisdom and candor in handling many issues during his reign, stressing: “all of us used to learn from his wealth of wisdom. I particularly learnt a lot from him. He was blessed with wisdom. So, I will definitely sustain such values during my own reign as the Olubadan. I actually learnt so much from him.”

    He said he was looking forward to the coronation day and urged indigenes to troop out in large number to witness the ceremony.

    Meanwhile, his residence has been receiving increasing number of visitors as coronation day draws nearer.

    The visitors include notable indigenes of the city, baales, artisan associations, groups and religious leaders.

  • Nigeria will miss Olubadan’s wise counsel – Buhari

    Nigeria will miss Olubadan’s wise counsel – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday commiserated with the people of Ibadan and the government of Oyo State on the death of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana.

    The President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also extended heartfelt condolences to the family of the late monarch.

    He described the deceased as a patriot, promoter of peace, unity and champion of the wellbeing of his subjects.

    He noted that the passage of Oba Odulana is a great loss not only to the people of Ibadan, but also the entire country, saying the monarch rich and wise counsel will be missed.

    “Nigeria needs the wisdom of such senior citizens and their wealth of experience and moral standards, especially at a time like this that we want to change the orientation and ethical values of our people to place higher priority on hard work, discipline, honesty, accountability and transparency,” President Buhari said on the late Olubadan, who died at the age of 101.

     

  • Ajimobi gives provisional approval to Ladoja’s, others’ promotion

    Ajimobi gives provisional approval to Ladoja’s, others’ promotion

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    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the promotion of nine Ibadan high chiefs.

    This followed the last night intervention of the Ibadan Elders Forum (IEF), which brokered peace in the simmering crisis between the governor and the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, over the promotion.

    The monarch elevated the high chiefs to their next rank on January 1, following the November deaths of Chief Sulaimon Omiyale, who was the Balogun of Ibadan and Chief Omowale Kuye, who was the Otun Olubadan.

    They were next in line to the throne from both lines that produce the Olubadan of Ibadan.

    The governor frowned at their promotion, saying it was in defiance to the government’s order to allow the chiefs go through security and medical examinations as stipulated by the Chieftaincy Law.

    He, consequently, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the monarch on Monday to reverse the elevation of the chiefs or face sanctions.

    The enlarged meeting held at the Agodi GRA residence of the IEF President, Ambassador Olusola Saanu, started at 6.34pm, when Governor Abiola arrived. It ended about an hour later.

    The meeting was attended by many high chiefs but the Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, did not attend.

    Ladoja, according to a source, had travelled out of the state.

    The elders in attendance include: former Head of Service of the Federation Prof Oladapo Afolabi; former President of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) Chief Bayo Oyero; former Commissioner for Information in Old Oyo State ýChief Adegboyega Arulogun; CCII President Chief Wole Akinwande; renowned industrialist Chief Bode Amoo; Chief Kola Daisi, Dr Lekan Are and the monarch’s son, Prince Femi Lana.

    Saanu told reporters after the meeting that they had successfully resolved the crisis.

    According to him, the governor had given a provisional approval for the Olubadan chiefs to retain their positions, but must follow the due process as stipulated in the extant law.

    “We thank God for using the good elders of this land to resolve this issue peacefully in one accord. We have been having this meeting since 10am and immediately we summoned the governor, he answered us.

    “After we have had a meeting with the governor in the morning, we later invited the affected chiefs to present their grievances to the governor themselves. It was only a misunderstanding and the matter has been resolved amicably. We are grateful to the governor and we promise that the chiefs will follow the regulations for their promotion,” he said.

    Ajimobi said: “We thank God for the elders. Our elders are committed to peace in Ibadanland and our king has shown that he is a good monarch. He contributed to my success as governor. In this case, brothers are fighting and elders have intervened.

    “There is no cause for further misunderstanding. We will perfect the papers because the issue has been resolved by men of impeccable character. Due process will now take place. Sometimes, you get married before perfecting the ceremony.

    “The Ibadan chiefs have agreed to follow the due process and I have also given them provisional approval to retain their position. ”

    Former Prelate of Methodist Church, Most Revd Sunday Ola Makinde, who was also in attendance, said God intervened.

    He said: “The chiefs have agreed to follow the due process and the governor has given them provisional approval to retain their positions.”

    The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Lekan Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the chiefs, confirmed that the issue had been resolved. He said the Ibadan elders should be commended for intervening.

    “We have all agreed with the governor because he is my brother and we are one family in Ibadan,” he said

    The Ibadan Progressives Union (IPU), one of the strong bodies in the CCII, led by Rev Ademola Moradeyo, also held a separate meeting with Ajimobi yesterday on the matter.

    The IPU members were also at last night’s meeting.

     

  • Why Olubadan has lived long, by Ajimobi

    Why Olubadan has lived long, by Ajimobi

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has attributed the 100 years of existence of the Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, Odugade 1, to “his pure heart, which is devoid of hatred”.

    Ajimobi spoke yesterday during a service at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Aremo, Ibadan, to mark the monarch’s centenary birthday.

    He said Oba Odulana harboured no bitterness against anyone, urging Nigerians to learn from him.

    Ajimobi said: “Those who knew him, even pre-his ascendancy to the throne, speak eloquently about a man who typifies honour and nobility. He has an attachment to the place of humanity in the scheme of things. Perhaps in the fact that Kabiyesi constantly ventilates his heart from the consuming fire of bitterness towards his fellow man and his sworn avowal to always do good to everyone can be found the secret of his longevity. We all have one lesson or the other to learn from this purification of the heart from the cancer of hatred.”

    Describing Oba Odulana as a gentleman, he said the monarch typified the Yoruba classification of an honourable man.

    Ajimobi said: “In the Olubadan is a demonstration of the elusive concept of Omoluabi. The Omoluabi, for the purpose of clarification, is that man who carries nobility, human goodness and trust around him like a pouch. With Kabiyesi, you know where you stand.

    “In him, you find the discipline of a trained soldier, the consummate nobility of a gentleman and the astuteness of a man of honour. His politics transcends the type found on the streets today; it was the politics of a statesman. To a statesman like him, politics cannot be worth its salt until it transforms the lives of the collective citizenry and repositions society on the path of transformation.”

    The governor said the Olubadan was one of the first people to acknowledge his administration’s urban renewal initiative.

    He said: “As a fitting demonstration of his acknowledgement of our effort in this regard, Kabiyesi bestowed on me the traditional title of Atunluse of Ibadanland (the remodeler/beautifier of Ibadanland). This was at a time when our political opponents were throwing tantrums at us for taking away the dirt of Ibadan and regaining global respect.”

    Ajimobi explained that President Goodluck Jonathan would have been at the service, but for the bomb blast at Nyanya Motor Park in Abuja.

    The President was represented by six ministers -Labaran Maku (Information); Ms. Jumoke Akinjide (Minister of State for the FCT); Akinwumi Adesina (Agriculture); Omobola Johnson (Communication and Technology); Jelili Adesiyan (Police Affairs) and Musiliu Obanikoro (Minister of State for Defence).

     

  • Jonathan greets Olubadan at 99

    President Goodluck Jonathan has felicitated with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana on his  99th birthday.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Reuben Abati, the president noted that “Oba Odulana has deployed his immense experience, knowledge and wisdom for the great benefit of his people since his assumption of the ancient throne of Ibadanland.”

    He prayed that God  who has already blessed the Olubadan with such extraordinary longevity will grant him many more years of good health and commendable service to his community and the nation.

    “President Jonathan joins the people of Ibadan and the Olubadan’s friends and well-wishers across the country in looking forward with great anticipation to Oba Odulana’s historic attainment of the age of 100 years next year.”

    “The President assures Oba Odulana and the people of Ibadan of the Federal Government’s full support for the celebrations being planned to commemorate the landmark occasion which fortuitously coincides with Nigeria’s centenary year celebrations, ”  Abati stated