By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, will on Saturday confer the chieftaincy titles of Aare Fiwajoye and Yeye Aare Fiwajoye of Ibadan land on Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and his wife, Hajiya Hafsat Ganduje.
The event will hold at the ancient Mapo Hall, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Saturday.
A statement by Mr Oladele Ogunsola, the media aide to Oba Balogun, said the conferment of the chieftaincy titles follows the recommendation made by the Oba Yoruba Kano, Alhaji Murtala Alimi Otisese (Adetimirin I), to appreciate Ganduje and his wife for making Kano city and the entire state a home for both natives and non-natives.
According to the recommendation, the conferment of the titles on the Kano State first couple “will be a reward for a man who has been very compassionate to us as a people and who believes that any Nigerian can stay and work in any part of the country without molestation or denial of basic things of life.”
“The conferment will not only further cement the bond of friendship that has long existed between the Ibadan and Kano people, it will also go a long way in maintaining handshake across the Niger as well as engender the much sought after unity which has turned fragile over the years,” it added.
While noting that a great percentage of Oduduwa sons and daughters that reside in the ancient city of Kano are Olubadan’s children and loyal subjects, Oba Otisese said the conferment of the chieftaincy titles would enhance the safety, and create peaceful haven for Yorubas in the state, adding that it would be a source of joy for the beloved and highly respected Olubadan.
In his acceptance letter, Ganduje, through his Chief of Staff, Usman Bala Muhammad, said the conferment of the chieftaincy titles on the have overwhelmed the government and people of Kano state, describing it “as quite timely and will eventually go a long way in strengthening the already existing cordial relationship between the Oyo Kingdom and the people of Kano State.”
