While the news of his demise was broken in the late hours of Thursday, it became a reality, at about 3:30pm on Friday, that, indeed, the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Sen Lekan Balogun CFR, Alli Okunmade II, has truly joined his ancestors.
Newscoven.com was on ground for a report of the final burial proceedings for the departed first Ph.D traditional ruler to occupy the highly coveted traditional stool of the ancient city of Ibadanland.
The corpse of Oba Lekan Balogun was gloriously brought on a horse-chariot to his ancestral home at the ancient Alliwo Compound. Amid wailings from several women who had gathered, he was lifted by a team of pall-bearers, far and above the sea of crowd that gathered to bid him a final farewell.
The gathering was mammoth. It included the real members of the bereaved Aliiwo Family who were on ground to mourn their departed family head and dignitaries from all walks of life. In the same vein, a team of men and women of easy virtues were on hand and they had a field day, dispossessing people of their valuables, including cash and mobile telephones.
The late traditional ruler was eventually taken into the Aliiwo Palace, amid wailing and crying by the gathering, apparently for the final traditional rites.
Thereafter, the Islamic prayers were offered for the repose of the soul of the departed traditional ruler. The prayer session was led by the Chief Imam of Ibadaland, Sheikh Abdul-Ganiy Agbotomokekere.
The remains of the late Olubadan were taken to the freshly-dug grave at the burial site for past mogajis (heads) of the Aliiwo Compound. The man who, until Thursday evening, was the Numero Uno in the Ibadan traditional system, was returned to the mother-earth as his remains was eventually interred at about 4:20pm.
After the interment, the deputy governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Bayo Lawal, described the late Oba Balogun as one of the few cerebral Olubadan of Ibadanland. Lawal, who represented his boss, Governor ‘Seyi Makinde at the burial event, went further: “[He was] very educated very intellectual. He took issues intellectually, for that we know that we have lost a monarch.
“As we all know he was a politician of glory. He rose to become a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through 1999 and 2003. He climbed through the ladder to become the Olubadan of Ibadanland…
“Moving forward his legacies, his memory will charge the course for us not only in Ibadanland, but also in Oyo State and Nigeria. He was an amiable monarch, as we all know; very friendly very jovial and we pray to Almighty Allah that he meet his creator in peace.”
The deputy governor, on behalf of Governor Makinde, assured of a befitting funeral rite for the departed Olubadan after the Islamic rite, declaring “we believe sincerely that, moving forward, whatever programmes that will follow will get the involvement of the state government.”
Speaking at the Lying-In-State earlier held at Mapo Hall, a former governor of the state who is also the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, said: “The late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Mohood Olalekan Balogun, lived a worthy life. God empowered him with wisdom with which he led Ibadan during the brief period he reigned.
“There is no accident of event in life. God has destined when everyone will die and that is why he has left us. God does not make mistake and no one can die unless God wants him to die. I believe that his death will bring peace and tranquility to us in Ibadanland.
“May God uphold the family that he has left. I sympathise with my younger brother, Senator Kola Balogun. May God console you and the entire Balogun family.”
The bereaved younger brother of the departed Oba Balogun and the Baba-Kekere Olubadan, Senator Kola Balogun, was not left out as he had some few words on his late brother. The former lawmaker in the ninth Senate said the demise of the late Olubadan was not only shocking, but also an absolute disbelief.
“Here was a man whom I was with three days ago and had our usual lively chat and there was no sign of leaving any moment from there. When it happened, we can’t query God. We give all glory to God.
“My brother first and foremost was a godly man. He was an humanitarian per excellence, intellectual and he was a decent human being. The first English language expression I learned he taught me. He will say are you crazy and I will say I am not crazy and he usually tease me with it.
“He was too generous. When you go to the Palace, they don’t give; you give them. But in his own case, it was different. He was one king I knew who was giving gifts and money to people. But I wasn’t surprised because that was our father, so if anyone took after him, it will be like that.
“He lived a fulfilled life as a technocrat. He rose to the peak of his career in the academic world. He was a governorship candidate in 1999 and performed wonderfully where he contested with the likes of the late Chief Bola Ige and Chief Omololu Olunloyo. He has so many firsts to his credit: He was the first Olubadan to be a senator; the first to crown other kings; the first Ph.D holder to be an Olubadan.
“You could see from people’s testimonies that his time he reigned was peaceful and there was a touch of his intellectual in all that happened. The neighbourhood crime rate went down during his time due to his administration and the issue of land grabbing has reduced. There was peace, tranquility and love among Ibadan people,” Senator Kola Balogun added.
Indeed, as it was asserted in the Holy Bible, and also supported by the Quran, there is an appointed time for everything; time to born and time to die. The 81-year-old 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland, indeed, came saw and played the role expected of him as a father, an academic, a politician and, above all, as a foremost traditional ruler.
As the Aliiwo Compound bids the Olubadan Stool bye-bye for now (in accordance with the Olubadan succession tradition), and as the family commences the search for another mogaji to replace Oba Lekan Balogun who was appointed the Mogaji of Aliiwo in 1986, the words of the deputy governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Bayo Lawal resonates loud and clear:
“Oba ku, oba ku in Yorubaland. You know the ascension or succession to the throne of Olubadan has always been peaceful and we pray that whoever is coming in as the new Olubadan of Ibadan land will take the mantle from where the late Olubadan dropped it.”
