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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Senate, on Wednesday, resolved to name one of its committee rooms after the late Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Olalekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II.
Recall that Oba Balogun joined his ancestors on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, after a brief illness. He was 81.
The Senate’s resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the lawmaker representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Senator Sharafadeen Alli.
Senator Alli, in his motion, said the late Olubadan was a leader per excellence, a community developer and service-driven politician, which culminated into his election as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2003.
“The late Olubadan was a man of peace and custodian of culture and values of the Yoruba people,” he added.
The two other Senators from Oyo State, Yinus Akintunde (APC, Oyo Central) and Addulfatai Buhari (APC, Oyo North), in their contributions to the debate on the motion told the Senate how the late first-class monarch impacted the lives of those who came across him positively.
Senator Buhari said a book written by the late monarch, titled, “Arrogance of Power,” given to him in 2003 when he (Senator Buhari) won election into the House of Representatives, has helped him alot not to get disconnected from the people who elected him into the National Assembly over the years.
The Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), also eulogised the virtues of the late Olubadan in his contribution to the debate on the motion.
The Senate, after the debate on the motion, adopted all the prayers therein as resolutions, one of which was to immortalise the late monarch by naming one of the Senate committee rooms after him.
The Senators also observed a minute silence in honour of the late Olubadan.
Speaking, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, urged Senator Abdulfatai Buhari to make available copies of “Arrogance of Power,” authored by the late Olubadan, to all Senators in order to guide them at all times.