The former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has led state governors, lawmakers, and other personalities to lay the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, to rest in his private residence in Igbeba, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
Governors present during the burial rites conducted for the monarch by Muslim clerics include the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his Ogun counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Noimot Oyedele, former governors of the state, Olusegun Osoba, and Gbenga Daniel.
Other personalities present in the Ogun monarch’s home to pay their last respect to him were the President of Dangote group, Aliko Dangote, Fuji artiste, Wasiu Ayinde, Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Sonny Kuku, and others.
Also on ground to pay last respect was the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, who led a Federal Government delegation that included the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Prince Gboyega Odetola, to Ijebu Ode for the funeral rites of Awujale which was delayed for about two hours.
During the burial, which was conducted under the tenets of Islam, on Monday, the monarch, who reigned for 64 years, was laid to rest inside a Mausoleum that was built by the traditional ruler within his Compound as his final abode.
As gathered during the burial from residents, they claimed that the presence of the personalities was an indication of the monarch’s status, legacy, and influence in Nigerian history.
The burial was completed around 6pm after Islamic rites presided over by the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Muftaudeen Ayanbadejo, a development that prevented traditionalists, who arrived in large numbers ostensibly to perform the age-long traditional rites, were rebuffed. They were asked to leave the venue by security operatives that included personnel of the Army.
The ogun former governor, Daniel, told reporters: “Without any doubt. The situation in Ijebuland cannot be the same again because the people had been used to paternal support of the great grand father, who had navigated the land successfully and the people of this community has no choice than to come together to continue from where Kabiyesi has left off.
“It is common knowledge that in Kabiyesi Awujale, you have a forthright personality, who can speak truth to all at a time, who can be described as fearless who abhors people telling lies and who is very straight forward to a fault.
“Kabiyesi is not used to anybody who is diplomatic. He says it as it is. At the end of the day, in the course of that , he garnered his own detractors . People have said that he successfully won all the battles. He was strong from the beginning to the end I guess that the testimony as to the kind of life he lived was that he was indeed a forthright personalities”.
