Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Yusuf Buratai (rtd) and some traditional rulers have described the death of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the late Oba Lekan Balogun CFR, Alli Okunmade II, as sudden and painful.
Buratai and the traditional rulers were among several other sympathisers have continued to throng the Alarere residence of the late Olubadan who passed on last Thursday evening at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, aged 81.
Buratai, who is the Aare Akinrogun of Ibadanland and a former Ambassador to Benin Republic, described the sudden exit of Oba Balogun as very painful and as a great loss.
The former Army Chief further stressed that, with death of the Olubadan, “we have lost a friendly, jovial, compassionate and loving monarch.”
General Buratai, who was honoured with Akinrogun chieftaincy title by the predecessor of the late Oba Balogun, the late Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, said the exit of Oba Balogun was the loss of a great traditional ruler.
“His passage, though very painful, but we are grateful to the Almighty Allah, he made his mark and left great legacy,” the former Chief of Army Staff.
Responding on behalf of the family, Dr Kola Balogun, a member of the ninth Senate, said he was not surprised by the visit by the retired General in view of the cordial relationship between the visitor and the family.
He said the relationship, which, though started with the coronation of the late Olubadan some two years ago, had blossomed like decades of interactions.
Senator Balogun recalled that the Ibadan honorary chieftaincy title holder came to the coronation with an array of Army Generals and stayed for two extra days to ensure a personal visitation to the late Olubadan.
“We are feeling a great sense of loss because we never thought it was going to be so short. We, however, take solace in the popular aphorism that it is not how long, but how well.
“We are grateful to the Almighty Allah for for the quality service our departed hero gave Ibadanland during his two-year reign.
“The general comments trailing his passage since Thursday last week have been so consoling and soothing balm on the pains caused by his death.
“He scored many firsts and his efforts at ensuring that peace reigned during his time and the taming of the monsters engaging in land grabbing would go down in history as part of his enduring legacies,”, Senator Balogun added.
Oniroko of Iroko, Oba Ismaila Abioye Opeyemi, led the association of Royal Highnesses of Ibadanland to condole the family of the late Oba Lekan Balogun.
On ground to receive General Buratai and the traditional rulers were the three surviving wives of the late Olubadan namely Oloris Olayinka, Olufunmilayo and Khalimat Balogun.
In his remark on behalf of his colleague obas, the Oniroko described the late Oba Balogun as a man with no restriction to his accessibility.
The Oniroko noted that his death caught everybody unaware as the news of his illness was not heard and it made it more painful.
He said: “We took consolation in the fact that our departed father made history and his impact on all of us would remain indelible in our lives because the crowns we all parade now were his legacies which nobody could alter in history.
“We shall forever remain grateful to him just as we implore all the people left behind not to mourn but to rejoice in the impactful and fulfilled life lived by the departed great monarch.”
In a similar vein, the Non-Indigenes Traditional Council in Ibadan and Oyo State, through Onu of Igala of Ibadanland, Ajofe Friday Okoliko, commended the late Oba Balogun.
They described the late Oba Balogun as a peculiar and unique Olubadan, given his non-preferential disposition to both indigenes and non-indigenes alike.
“We have never seen any Olubadan like him in terms of his non-discriminatory and detribalisation disposition.
“As we have come here to sympathise with you the survivors of the deceased, we are also here to sympathise with ourselves because we have lost a true and compassionate father in him.
“He was our backbone when forming the association and since its formation, he had never abandoned us. He was very accessible and highly accommodating,” the Onu of Igala of Ibadanland added.
Olori Yinka Balogun, responding on behalf of the other wives of the late Olubadan, Olori Olayinka Balogun, said the remarks by Oniroko were very apt and am indication of a deep knowledge of their late husband.
She expressed gladness that the late Olubadan left behind a name and legacies to be proud of, adding that said were they enough consolation for the widows.
Olori Yinka Balogun commended by Onu of Igala of Ibadanland and members of his association for their friendly disposition and their glorious comments on their late husband.
According to her: “It is a thing of joy to acknowledge your identification of our late husband as WAZOBIA which truly he was.
“He was such a detribalised person that everybody that came across him was either his brother or sister, son or daughter.
“We are very happy to have been blessed with such a man and would always cherish the good and enduring legacies he left behind.”
