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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Barely 72 hours after celebrating his two years on the throne as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadan land, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, joined his ancestors on Thursday night at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, after a brief illness.
Speaking about the monarch’s last moments, the Baba Kekere Olubadan and Oba Balogun’s younger brother, Sen. Kola Balogun, said the late Olubadan was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning.
Sen Balogun, who spoke in a statement made available to newsmen by the Personal Assistant on Media to the late monarch, Oladele Ogunsola, said having stayed indoor throughout Tuesday on account of slight malaria fever, the 81-year-old Oba Balogun was taken to UCH for treatment.
“He was hail and hearty on Monday during which he personally received few guests that paid him congratulatory visits on his second year anniversary on that day,” he said
Sen. Balogun disclosed that Oba Balogun would be buried at his Aliiwo ancestral home by 4pm on Friday according to Islamic rites, adding that Governor Seyi Makinde has been notified.
The late Olubadan was the first most educated person to have emerged as Ibadan monarch. He was a British trained P.hd holder, a former university lecturer, former member of management staff of Shell British Petroleum, former gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), former Senator and a successful business man.
His last official outing was the Olubadan Advisory Council’s meeting which he presided over last Saturday where the decision to remove Mogaji Akinsola, Olawale Oladoja, was taken.
He, however, on Tuesday instructed the Ekerin Olubadan, Oba Hamidu Ajibade, to midwife a small committee to deliberate on last Friday’s decision on what should be the position of Ibadan Zone in the proposed newly reconstituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
The decision of the small committee was earlier on Thursday ratified by the Olubadan Advisory Council at a meeting presided over by Otun Olubadan and the former governor of Oyo State, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja and was to be taken to the late Oba Balogun for his signature Friday morning so as to meet the deadline for submission to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters later in the day.
The late Olubadan is survived by wives, children and grandchildren.
