Tag: Ooni of Ife
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Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi is new Ooni of ife
Forty-year old Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has emerged as the new Ooni of ife.
His appointment was announced in a press statement by the Government of Osun state early Monday morning in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti.
The statement reads: “The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has approved the appointment of a new Ooni of Ife. He is Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi of the Giesi Ruling House of Ile Ife State of Osun.
” This choice follows the completion of the due process by the kingmakers and the communication of their decision to the Government.”
Born to Prince Ropo and Late Mrs Margaret Wuraola Ogunwusi of Ile Opa family compound, Ile Ife , the new Ooni is a Higher National Diploma graduate from The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
He is on the Board of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited, (formerly GTHomes), GTBank Plc and FinaTrust Microfinance Bank Limited.
He is a member of several professional bodies including ; Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an Associate Accounting Technician and a certified member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria as well as Global Real Estate Institute (GRI).
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’Ooni to be picked next month from Giesi family’
•Kingmakers: Giesi house to produce monarch
The 16 Ife kingmakers yesterday named Giesi as the only ruling house qualified to present candidate (s) for the vacant Ooni stool.
They said the new Ooni would emerge in the next 40 days.
Addressing reporters at the Ooni’s palace, the Obalufe, Oba Folorunso Omisakin, said the 1980 Ife chieftaincy declaration will be used in selecting the next Ooni.
He said: “We, the kingmakers, hereby unanimously declare, affirm and confirm that the 1980 Ife chieftaincy declaration is the one in existence now and we affirm as follows:
“Section 19 (3) states that it is the turn of the Giesi ruling house to present a candidate/candidates for the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife. The three other ruling houses- Osinkola, Ogboru and Lafogido- should wait for their turn.
[ad id=”403656″]“No ruling house should be restricted to a particular quarters or area of the town because members of the ruling houses live in different parts of the town.
“Finally, we hereby enjoin members of the four ruling houses, residents, religious bodies, men and women to please maintain the peace.
“By doing this, the kingmakers will be able to select the best candidate.”
According to the Obalufe, whoever emerges must be upright, not poor, of good character, enjoy popular support of the kingmakers and must be able to lead the ancient town.
He assured that Ife tradition and custom would be applied.
The Secretary of Ife East Local Government, Tajudeen Lawal, said the provision of the 1980 Ife chieftaincy declaration was clear and straightforward on which house would produce the next Ooni.
He said the local government would write the Giesi ruling house to present candidates to the kingmakers, assuring that the process would be rancour-free because “the government would allow transparency”.
His counterpart from Ife Central, Dr. Taiwo Olaiya, faulted the claim that the1980 declaration had never been used, saying it was used to pick the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
He said the 1957 Ife chieftaincy declaration had been cancelled and the 1980 declaration used to pick the new Ooni.
The kingmakers at the briefing include Obajio of Moore Quarters in Ife, Oba Yaya Elugbaju, Obaloran of Ilode Quarters in Ife, Oba Sakariya Olawusi, the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, the Jaran of Ife, Oba Adekola Adeyeye and Arode of Ife, Oba J.A. Awe.
But the Lafogido ruling house has said it would challenge the kingmakers’ decision in court.
According to the ruling house, Giesi lost its chance to produce the Ooni in 1980 when it conceded to the late Oba Sijuwade, who hailed from Ogboru ruling house.
Consequently, Lafogido argued that Giesi must wait until the rotation comes to it again.
A source said: “Giesi cannot enjoy the chance to produce the Ooni twice. In the principle of rotation, each participant enjoys the opportunity to produce the leader once. Giesi had its chance in 1980. This is Lafogido’s turn.”
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Bode George and Ooni of Ife eulogy
Last week, Bode George, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, retired naval commodore and former Military Governor of Ondo State, wrote what in his estimation passes for a moving eulogy on Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife. Entitled “Oonirisa: Passage of a Great Monarch,” the well-written eulogy was however full of misinformation, vexatious generalisations, and outright mendacity. Having been gifted the honorary title of Atoona Oodua, which he translated as “the traditional pathfinder of our ancestral beginning,” Chief George had ample reasons to lyricise his benefactor. He pursued the exercise with unabashed candour. But he had no reason to lie or mislead the public, if that habit were not second nature to him.
The late Oba Sijuwade undoubtedly won the plaudits heaped on him by Chief George, for, after all, virtually all other eulogies spoken or written on the oba by commentators from diverse backgrounds agreed in tone and vigour with that of the PDP chieftain. Had Chief George limited himself to simply eulogising the late monarch, few eyebrows would have been raised. But in his effusions, amplified by purple prose, the PDP chieftain, a self-confessed conservative and bold and unapologetic enemy of the progressives, dragged Oba Sijuwade, corpse and rites, into his mendacious accounts of recent political events.
Chief George spoke proudly of Oba Sijuwade’s last public outing in November 2014, the Yoruba Unity Summit, held at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. In just one paragraph of four sentences, the PDP chieftain managed to tell a lie in every sentence. First, he claimed for himself the privilege of assisting Oba Sijuwade to organise the summit. He may be the Atoona Odua, with all the grand import of the honorary title, and Oba Sijuwade might indeed be his genuine benefactor, but it is doubtful whether the late monarch actually conceived the summit and, feigning ignorance of the liability Chief George’s name constituted to such a grand task, asked the Atoona Odua to help convoke the summit. Chief George can sometimes be amusingly self-effacing. What is more likely to be the truth, a fact many commentators attested to last November, is that Chief George actually inspired the summit, and merely borrowed Oba Sijuwade’s name to sanctify and canonise a gathering many considered to be partisan and dubious.
Second, Chief George claimed the summit was predicated on the search for ‘unity and brotherhood in the Yoruba nation.’ This was an egregious lie. If anything, the summit was predicated on the totally abhorrent premise of convoking a gathering designed to show Chief George’s invitees as the cream of Yoruba leadership, irrespective of the summit’s capacity to harden divisions among the Yoruba. Third, the PDP chieftain pontificated that the summit eschewed ‘political biases or ideological contentions.’ Chief George was simply being frivolous with language. Not only was the summit an embodiment of political biases, contrary to his asseveration, it was a mortifying exemplification of ideological contentions, probably the most pernicious the crowd that gathered on that university campus could muster and dispense.
Fourth, Chief George claimed the summit celebrated Yoruba roots and reinforced Yoruba identity as a (nationally) unifying factor. These claims were grandiose and bogus. If any celebration took place on the OAU campus on November 28, 2014, it was but a garish display of vanity, fashion and meretriciousness. There was neither depth nor substance in what took place on that campus: not in the discussions, which were rambling and ignoble, nor in the personalities that gathered, the most notable among whom was the garrulous and fawning Governor Ayo Fayose who debauched the entire meeting with his violent hysterics and loud denunciations of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Chief George then implausibly concluded his eulogy by claiming that “All prominent sons and daughters of Oduduwa graced the occasion without partisan recourse.” This absolutely fictional account of what was supposed to have transpired on the OAU campus last November has value only as a fecund piece of Georgian imagination well scripted. It has no bearing on reality. The only people appearing to resemble prominence in the summit were a few Southwest PDP bigwigs, most of them without any electoral value, as the general election of 2015 was shortly to demonstrate.
The so-called Yoruba Unity Summit was organised by Chief George to massage the ego of the pressured former president Goodluck Jonathan. He had been trailing in the polls and needed a jolt of public relations electricity to rekindle his flagging campaign in the Southwest. He therefore dutifully attended the summit and pledged he would protect and advance Yoruba interest far more assiduously than he did in his first term. In return, he secured the approbation of the summiteers, all of them PDP supporters needing neither sermons nor conversion, and having an eye on the main chance.
Chief George penned the eulogy to reinforce the image of Oba Sijuwade as a gem. It however achieved the contrary objective of reminding the public how the controversial politics, if not the disputed principles, of the late first class oba tended to vitiate his transcendental image as the Oonirisa, an oba who nearly transformed into a living deity, an oba who could neither do wrong nor even think wrong. The Georgian eulogy will lead many analysts to question the traditional propriety and wisdom of conferring a glittering title on a man so undeserving of the honour. Those who know Chief George, however, would not be too shocked by his ‘dazzling’ portraiture of Oba Sijuwade. It is in Chief George to hate his opponents with perfect hatred, and to revere his benefactors with unfathomable lack of moderation and grace.
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Photo : Aregbesola recieves condolence letter on Ooni’s death
Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (2nd left); representing the governor, Senate delegation leader to Osun,Senator Abdullahi Adamu (2nd right), Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Senator Babajide Omoworare (left) and Senator Gbolahan Dada (right), during the presentation of the Senate Condolence Letter to the Governor on the death of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, at Government House,Osogbo on Thursday. 
Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (2nd right), representing the governor; Senate delegation leader to Osun, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (right), Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Senator Babajide Omoworare (3rd right), Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (3rd left), Head of State Civil Service, Elder Sunday Owoeye (2nd left) and Former
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun (left), during the presentation of the Senate Condolence Letter to the Governor on the death of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, at Government House, Osogbo on Thursday. -
Ooni: We’ve lost a rare gem – Ambode
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has commiserated with the family, friends, associates, subjects and the government and people of Osun over the transition of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Olubuse Sijuwade II, saying the nation and most especially the Yoruba race has lost a rare gem.
Oba Sijuwade who became the fiftieth Ooni of Ife in December 6, 1980, passed on Tuesday, July 28 in a London hospital at the age of 85 after a brief illness, but his departure was officially announced on Wednesday, August 12, by the Ife Royal Traditional Council in accordance with tradition.
In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, the Governor said the late first class monarch will be missed for his fatherly role and advice, describing his demise as a great loss to the nation.
Extolling the virtues of the late Ooni, Governor Ambode recalled that the late monarch used his wealth of experience in tradition and commerce to better the lot of the Yoruba race; “Without any iota of doubt, Oba Sijuwade was a forthright traditional ruler, and astute business man who for decades helped to pursue and unite the common interests of the Yoruba race. His timely interventions in communal and inter-state disputes in the past are remarkable strides that will forever remain in our minds.”
He said the leadership role of the late Oba will remain an inspiration to all, stressing that one of his virtues as a leader was his ability to take responsibility and be responsible for others.“Among other virtues the Ooni dedicated himself to the service of the nation and as long as we are alive, we must remember him for many things; his peace loving nature, candidness and his belief that there is hope that Nigeria’s challenges will be surmounted in the nearest future,” he said
He prayed that Almighty God grant the departed soul peaceful repose and his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss just as he urged them to take solace in the fact that he lived a fulfilled life and was leaving behind a worth legacy for his successor.
“On behalf of my family and the good people of Lagos State, I wish to express our sincere condolences on the passing away of one of our illustrious traditional rulers. He would be missed by all,” the Governor said.
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Ooni to be buried on Friday – Son
Adetokunbo Sijuwade, the son of the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, on Wednesday officially announced the death of the monarch, saying he would be buried on Friday.
Addressing newsmen at the Government Office in Osogbo, the younger Sijuwade said that the body of the late monarch would be flown in from London on Thursday and buried on Friday at 10 a.m.
Also speaking, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola said the “ late Ooni represented the Yoruba nation and has done a lot in uplifting the traditional institution in the state.”
Aregbesola, who read the last text message he received from the Ooni at the briefing, said the late monarch informed him of his frail health, adding that he was travelling to London for treatment.
He described the death of the Ooni as a great loss to the state and the Yoruba race, stressing, however, that a king could not die in Yorubaland.
Oba Solomon Omisakin, the Obalufe of Iromo and Vice Chairman of the Ife Traditional Council as well as High Chief Joseph Ijaodola, the Lowa of Ile-Ife, both corroborated what Sijuwade said.
They expressed gratitude to the people of Osun and prayed that God would provide another king who would excel as the late Ooni did.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the press briefing was also attended by the Ooni’s daughter, Mrs Aderounmu Fadeyi, and members of Ife Traditional Council.
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Confusion over the Ooni
A case of culture clashing with modernity
Last Wednesday, the news was all over town that Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife, Olubuse II, had passed on at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London, United Kingdom (U.K), where he was being treated. He was reportedly flown out penultimate Friday in an air ambulance for treatment at the hospital when his health suffered a relapse. But Ife traditional chiefs quickly dispelled as ‘wicked rumour’ the news of the Ooni’s death. According to them, the foremost traditional ruler in Yoruba land was ‘hale and hearty’. Ever since, the confusion has continued as to whether the Ooni is dead or alive. While the media stuck to their stories about his demise, the traditional chiefs have also maintained their stance that he is well. As of the time of submitting this piece on Friday, a condolence register had not been opened for the Ooni, thus giving the impression that the chiefs’ position is the authentic stance on the matter.
It is instructive that none of the media that reported the death of the monarch retracted the story, thus putting the Ife chiefs who insist the paramount Oba is alive on the defensive. Apparently the editors must have been waiting for the Oba to debunk the rumour of his death by speaking from wherever he is. As at Friday however, that had not happened. The chiefs had said that the Oba would be at the wedding of one of his sons, Adegbite, with ace television presenter and actress Dolapo Oni, today. I am not in a position to say whether that happened as this write-up went to bed on Friday. But, as a colleague jocularly said, if the Ooni appeared at the function, even the children would ‘pick race’.
At 85, the Ooni is not too young to die; so, naturally his death should not be controversial. Many people would wonder that if, as Shakespeare said, death is a necessary end that will come when it will come, why then would someone’s death be a subject of controversy? The answer lies in the Yoruba tradition that Obas don’t die. Thus, when an Oba passes on, the Yoruba simply say ‘Oba ti w’aja’, which means he has joined his ancestors. Not only this, there are also procedures for announcing such passage. The Oba is not just anybody whose death should be heard of first in the media or on the street. Even in the days of yore before the advent of the mass media, the town crier could not just go to town with the news of an Oba’s passage; he had to be instructed by the appropriate authorities before breaking the news. It would appear the bypassing of that protocol by the mass media and the social media is responsible for what is now making the Ooni’s issue controversial.
Yet, we may just be seeing the beginning of such defiance of culture, especially with regard to traditional rulers. It is simply a case of tradition caught in the web of modernity. The mere fact that Oba Sijuwade had to be taken abroad for treatment had made it impossible to hide anything concerning him or his health, worse still, his death if he died abroad. Apparently the culture that forbids announcement of the death of an Oba until certain rites are performed, or until certain protocol is observed, did not envisage that an Oba would be flown abroad for medical attention, not to talk of him dying there. Apparently, too, that culture did not reckon with the fact that a time will ever come when the world would become a global village that today’s world has become, with the advent of the ubiquitous internet. If Oba Sijuwade had died in London, that is an open society and the demise of such a personality cannot be a guarded secret for long. This, indeed, is why it is surprising that the chiefs are angry that the media broke the news of Oba Sijuwade’s death or rumour of the death (since the Ife chiefs appear to prefer the latter). There is no hiding for the fish; not a big one as the Ooni of Ife.
But, Nigeria is a country where we have had many examples of deaths and rumoured deaths. Prominent Nigerians rumoured to have died included the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. Indeed, I remember that of Zik vividly because I had the onerous responsibility of splashing his pictures on the centre-spread of The Punch title on the day he was reported dead in 1989, appropriately titled “The life and times of Zik”.
Moreover, this year alone, the Ooni is not the first traditional ruler that has been rumoured to have died. The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolopkolo, Erediauwa, was also said to have died since about a year ago because he had not been seen in public. In February, the Benin Traditional Council had to refute publicly, the rumour of the Oba’s death, which intensified with his inability to personally receive President Goodluck Jonathan in his palace when the president visited during his campaign for reelection on February 4. Secretary to the council, Mr. Frank Irabor, explained that it was the responsibility of the council to issue a formal statement, if such a development (death) did occur. “They have been peddling that rumour for more than a year now, because the Oba has not been coming out. If there is anything like that, there is usually a statement from the palace or from the Benin Traditional Council”, he said.
However, in March, the same council came out with the news that the Oba was indisposed. The council said in a statement signed by Irabor that: “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that, in the Palace parlance, ‘Uhunmwun ve Ekpen vbý’ Ato,’ meaning the Leopard is ill in the Savannah bush. The explanation is that Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolopkolo, Erediauwa, CFR, Oba of Benin, is indisposed. Public engagements, including courtesy visits, hearing of complaints from individuals, families and communities, and in particular, complaints over inheritance and land disputes, are therefore suspended until further notice. All palace chiefs and functionaries are to note that their routine traditional duties continue as usual.”
Mum has been the word from the palace or the council since then. The point I am trying to make is that because the rumour and counter-rumour making the rounds about the Oba of Benin are all happening within our shores, it is easier for the palace and the traditional council to manage the information. This is not the case with the Ooni. If anything happens to a big fish like Oba Sijuwade outside our shores, that thing is of significance not only to Ife people; it is something that would interest the entire Black race because of the importance of Ile-Ife to many of them. So, it cannot be made a secret.
Another point though is that culture itself is dynamic; it is ever changing; never static. A time there was when albinos were an endangered species. If they walked aimlessly, even in daytime in many places in those days, they were done for. A time there was when people with hunchback could also not move freely without the fear of being caught for ritual purposes. A time there was too when twins were also thrown into the evil forest in certain parts of the country until Mary Slessor came and put a stop to the barbarity.
Anyway, whatever becomes of Oba Sijuwade is expected to unravel in a short while. This is much more so when the chiefs had reminded us that this would not be the first time Oba Sijuwade would be rumoured to have died. They said it was so in 1982 and 2004. So, is this a reenactment of those years’ rumours? Time will tell.
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How Ooni of Ife’s death should be announced
Yoruba has a rich tradition. The age-long culture gives form, content and predictability to the beliefs of its people. The custom has been inherited from generation to generation. The symbol of the unity of the race is kingship. Its cradle is Ile-Ife, the cherished sacred abode of its progenitor, Oduduwa.
Whenever any Owooni (Ooni) Adimula joins his ancestors, the news is not broken without following the due process of culture. Ooni is the property of Yoruba race. He is the custodian of the household of Oduduwa, its shrine and the protector of its legacies. Therefore, it is absolutely a taboo for any prince, royal family and palace chiefs to break the news without clearance or approval from the appropriate traditional quarters.
The announcement of the Ooni’s death is a traditional role conferred on his brother, the Oore of Otun and Mobaland, a son of Oduduwa and one of the 16 foremost monarchs in Yorubaland. The reigning Oore is Oba Adedapo Popoola, an economist and chartered accountant.
After ascertaining that the Ooni has waja (died), the palace chiefs are expected to inform the Oore. The Oore will mourn his passage in a traditional way. He will not waste time in breaking the news to other Oduduwa children, especially the Alaafin, the descendant of Oranmiyan Akinorun, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, the Oba of Benin, the Onipopo of Popo, the Onisabe of Sabe, and the Owa Obokun Adimula. The Oore will also carry along the Ajero Asotemaru, the Alara and the Obalufon Alayemore.
The foremost rulers will break the news to their towns and vassal towns. Days of mourning will be declared. The attention of the towns and villages will focus on Ile-Ife, the Orirun, where their kings obtained their legitimate crowns.
In ancient times, a celebration will be proclaimed, with its characteristic visitation to the cradle by monarchs, accompanied by their chiefs and families. The palace chiefs will play dominant roles during the burial ceremony. They will also play dominant roles during the selection of a new prince for the prestigious throne.
After the new Ooni is crowned, Yoruba monarchs will accord him automatic recognition and respect. He may visit selected palaces of his brother obas in the spirit of brotherhood. As a prince, the history of the race must be on his lip. He is expected to be factual. In the days of yore, the Ooni was the custodian of knowledge. Thus, during the early days of colonial era, Owooni Derin Ologbenla, the Ooni of Ife, who doubled as the Baale of Oke-Igbo, was the only son of Oduduwa, whose testimony could be trusted when the foreigners were trying to resolve the rift between the Awujale of Ijebuland and the Epe monarch over land. The Ooni declared that Epe and Ikorodu were extension of Ijebuland. His evidence was upheld by the British.
Also, only the Ooni’s voice was trusted by the colonial masters in ascertaining the authenticity of claims and counter-claims to royal crowns by the children of Oduduwa. In those days, there was no rival between the Ooni and the Alaafin of Oyo empire. While the Alaafin’s empire extended from Ilorin, where Afonja rebelled against the suzerain, to Popo and Sabe in the present-day Republic of Benin, he still regarded Ife as his ancestral home. Thus, there was no friction, but cooperative governance, based on history and traditional consultations.
But, neither Ooni nor Alaafin could prevent communal clashes and wars that ravaged Yorubaland for over 100 years. The wars were motivated by expansionist tendencies and desire for autonomy. The old Oyo empire was weakened by the Fulani warriors who assisted Afonja to sustain his rebellion against Alaafin. Later, these intruders who wanted to run over Yorubaland to dip the Koran in the Lagos Lagoon were stopped by the Ibadan powers. Also, Ife caved in, following the onslaught by Modakeke in a rebellion fuelled by Oyo vassal towns in the days of Owooni Abewela.
Tradition has it that, when Ife was dispersed, the lot to “re-assemble” the ancient town fell on Olubuse, the great warrior, who invited dispersed people who had gone to sojourn in Ifewara and Ifetedo and its environs for the historic war of liberation. Olubuse Ere invoked the spirit of his forefathers, urging them to rise in defence of the cradle. He regained Edun Abon, Ipetumodu and other towns and silenced the Modakeke insurrection.
However, after his death, Owooni Ajagunlaforikan Ademiluyi renewed contract with Modakeke. It was in the early days of the colonial rule. He coveted the colonial purse, with an intention to enlarge his wealthy coast. Then, rulers received stipends from the authority, based on the population of their towns. But, when war broke out between Ife and Modakeke, Ife was again under siege. The acrimony pervaded in Ile-Ife and Modakeke until 1930 when an eminent prince, Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi, ascended the throne.
Aderemi’s coronation in 1930 was a turning point. It connected the past with the present. According to historians, as he was being crowned, a rainbow was said to have appeared. The palace was worried by the curious sign. Herbalists and other ancient fathers of secrets were assembled to interpret the signs. In unison, they congratulated Aderemi as they paid homage. The Ooni was informed that a prince had been born into the royal family. When a search was conducted, it was discovered that the son of Ooni Adelekan Sijuwade Olubuse 1 had given birth to a son. He was named Omo-Oba Okunade. The old people gazed into the future and told the king that he would live to an old age and prosper. They did not rule out the reality that a successor had been born.
Okunade Sijuwade was born into opulence. He was born with silver spoon in his mouth. When he was a student of Abeokuta Grammar School, he flaunted his background as a royal prince of the cradle. The principal, Canon Israel Oludotun Ransom-Kuti, was a disciplinarian. But, when he wanted to flog Okunade after committing an offence, the prince objected. He told Kuti: “I am the future Ooni of Ife.” Kuti was a highly respected Yoruba man. He was versed in the history and culture of the race. Before he was transferred to Abeokuta Confederation, he had served as principal in Ijebuland.
The principal took the young prince to his office. He made enquiries about Okunade’s claim. When he found out the truth, he exclaimed: “I will not cane the future Oba of Yoruba.” The old teacher admonished him to behave well henceforth, saying that anybody who aspired to lead Yoruba must not be found wanting.
After leaving Abeokuta, Sijuwade worked in his father’s company and in The Tribune before going abroad for higher studies. He returned as a big boy-a sales manager with Leventis Motors. He made money and ventured into private business. He recorded huge success. He became a philanthropist. His best friend was Bobo Doherty.
In December 1980, Sijuwade fulfilled his destiny. He had prepared for the throne in advance. It was a great privilege for him to succeed Aderemi, a former member of the House of Representatives and minister. In fact, he contributed immensely into the rehabilitation of the palace during Aderemi’s reign. Prince Sijuwade was a king-in-waiting. Yet, there was no rivalry and mistrust between him and Sir Aderemi, who had ‘adopted’ him as a son.
One of his rivals during the obaship tussle was Dr. Ademiluyi, a respected surgeon. But, Sijuwade’s popularity, charisma and carriage dwarfed them all. The emerging political class was competing for the attention of the traditional rulers. During the formation of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, which later became the Action Group (AG), Oba Aderemi was the patron, along with Pa Akinola Maja and Olowo of Owo, Oba Olateru-Olagbegi. The Alaafin, Oba Adeniran Adeyemi, was a fanatical supporter of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC). Ooni’s support for the Egbe and AG gave the party an edge.
Thus, when he passed on, the political forces were at play again. The former AG Publicity Secretary, the late Chief Bola Ige, was the governor of Oyo State. The late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, the Odole of Ife and his wife, Mrs. Dideolu Awolowo, had given Sijuwade their blessing. The coast was clear for him to mount the throne of his forefathers. The coronation was celebrated throughout Yorubaland and beyond. In attendance were traditional rulers from all parts of the country. Even, Queen Elizabeth of England sent a representative.
After the ceremony, he embarked on tour of Yorubaland. He visited Oyo, Ekiti, Owo, Akoko, Ijebu, Remo, Egba, Benin, Popo, Sabe and Yoruba in Brazil. He donated to palaces, homes and schools. Oba Sijuwade made HID Awolowo the Yeyeoba of Ile-Ife and later, Yeye Oodua of Ile-Ife.
But, crisis soon broke out in his kingdom. There was resumption of hostilities between Ife and Modakeke. Many people lost their lives. Buildings were in flames. Many houses were deserted. Travelers had a nightmare passing through Ife. Yoruba mourned over the fate of the cradle. It was a wide departure from the reign of Aderemi, who had married Segilola from Modakeke. But, historian cannot blame Oba Sijuwade. The acrimony dated back to the reign of his illustrious grandfather, Oba Adenekan Olubuse. Peace did not return until a separate local government was created for Modakeke. Also, crisis broke out between the Ooni and other obas- the Alaafin, Owa and Soun of Ogbomoso- over the chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs. The crisis was resolved when osun State was created. Ooni became the permanent president. The chairmanship is now being rotated among other first class obas.
However, Ile-Ife lost its bid for the capital of Osun State, to the consternation of Oba Sijuwade. The factors- centrality, as it were, past role of Osogbo as the headquarter of Osun Division and government preference favoured the rolling steel city. But, a local government with its headquarter at Enuowa, Ile-Ife, was created to compensate for the loss.
The tension between Alaafin Layiwola and Oba Sijuwade also intensified. Both made antagonistic claims as the overlord. Yoruba obas kept silent. Oba Adeyemi said he is the leader of the Oyo empire. Oba Sijuwade said the empire had ceased to exist. Recently, the Ooni upgraded some community heads into Obaship. His authority was not questioned.
Oba Sijuwade and the Oba of Benin, Omo N’oba Uku Akpolokpolo, also clashed. The Benin monarch had disputed the historical claim that Oranmiya’s children ruled Benin Kingdom. Some historians from Benin alleged that the legendary Ife prince escaped from Benin when he was about to be apprehended for an offence. The Olowo-Eko took sides with the Benin monarch. Oba Sijuwade cried foul. He said even Oba Akenzua acknowledged his Ife connection. He explained that, up to the 1930s, the official language at the palace of the Oba of Benin was Yoruba. Turning to Yeyeoba Awolowo at a ceremony in Lagos, he said: “You are the Yeyeoba of Yoruba, which extends to Benin.”
Oba Sijuwade also had to contend with political crises in Osun State between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
He was also unable to forge unity and cohesion in Yorubaland, which has been bitterly divided by the pursuit of antagonistic interests by members of the political class.
