Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has described the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, Odugade I as an accomplished all-rounder who left an indelible footprint in the sands of time.
The governor, who extolled the late Olubadan during the official notification of his death by the Olubadan-in-Council, on Thursday, promised that the state government would give him a burial befitting of heroes and statesmen.
The Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Saliu Adetunji, led members of the council, the leadership of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) as well as princes and princesses of the late monarch to the Governor’s Office to formally inform him about the incident.
Ajimobi said that even if the Olubadan had lived for another 100 years, his death would still have been painful to him and indeed, the sons and daughters of Ibadanland, considering what he called his exemplary, pious and disciplined life.
“Kabiyesi was an accomplished man in all ramifications. He left an indelible footprint in the sands of times, having served this country in different capacities as a teacher, civil servant, a Second World War veteran, a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a parliamentarian of note.
“He was an irrepressible patriot, an Ibadan irredentist, a disciplinarian, a good father and an unstoppable democrat. He sees to the success of anything to which he was committed. He won an election as an independent candidate even when independent candidacy was not popular.
“A man of stoic character, consistent and Godly, he was a firm believer in the rule of law. If Baba had been in the saddle for another 10 years, he would have contributed to the campaign for cleanliness of Ibadan. He would never play the ostrich.
“Kabiyesi was a nationalist and I am promising before you today that the state government under my leadership will give him a burial befitting of heroes and statesmen. On behalf of the government and the good people of Oyo State, I pray for the repose of Baba’s soul,” he said.
The governor said he took solace in the fact that the late foremost traditional ruler lived an exemplary life.
Earlier, the Balogun had said that the High Chiefs and Kabiyesi’s children visited the governor to notify him of the passage of Oba Odulana whom they said joined his ancestors on Tuesday evening.
He said the Olubadan-in-Council would have loved to have the late monarch around for at least 10 more years but that they had succumbed to the supreme will of the Almighty, the giver and taker of life.
Also speaking, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Lekan Balogun, tendered the unreserved apology of the council to the governor for the late information about the Olubadan’s demise, saying that he (the governor) was supposed to make the formal announcement.
Balogun, who attributed the development to some logistics problems, then presented a letter to the governor on behalf of the Olubadan-in-Council to formally inform him that Oba Odulana had joined his ancestors.
