Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba (Dr) Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III JP CON CFR, will on May 27 clock 95. It is special grace for the paramount ruler in Ogbomosoland and as such His Majesty is set to commemorate the occasion by among others confer honorary chieftaincy titles on some prominent indigenes of the city.
The traditional ceremony is scheduled to come up on the day the eminent monarch will clock 95 years one day, that is, Friday, May 28.
This was according to information reaching the stable of ogbomosoinsightonline.com and confirmed by the personal secretary to Oba Oyewumi, Mr. Toyin Ajamu.
Mr. Ajamu however declined to give the names of the beneficiaries on the ground that the responses of some of the personalities are still being awaited.
He nonetheless confirmed that the installation ceremony will come up on 28th of May.
According to a letter of conferment seen by ogbomosoinsightonline.com, it is partly stated, “Your contributions to Ogbomoso and to national development along with your outstanding pedigree and worthy character have been noticed.”
The letter also stressed, “You are hereby encouraged to sustain your remarkable attributes and contributions to the society while further engraining your allegiance to Ogbomosoland.”
Some of the personalities to be conferred with the titles according to our findings meanwhile are General Oladayo Popoola (retd), who is to be conferred with the traditional title of Asipa of Ogbomosoland; Senator Ayoade Adeseun, Mayegun; and Femi Onireti, Atunewese.
Some others are Engr. Open Salawu, Babalaje; and Mrs. Rachael Philips, Majeobaje Iyalode.
Other names are still being kept to the chest as it is not clear whether the offer of chieftaincy title made to them will be accepted or not, and so, the names cannot be made public yet.
Gen Popoola (Asipa designate), currently the Leader of Ogbomoso Community Foundation (an umbrella socio-cultural organization in the city) and a former military governor of old Oyo and Ogun states, will be stepping into the shoes vacated by late Brigadier Benjamin Maja Adekunle, Nigeria’s Civil War hero, who passed on in 2014. Late Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, last Premier of the defunct Western Region and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, occupied the position before Adekunle who was popularly known as ‘Black Scorpion’.
Senator Adeseun (Mayegun designate) is a top politician, who had served as chairman, Surulere local government; represented Surulere/Ogo-Oluwa federal constituency in the House of Representatives on two occasions (2003-2011) and Oyo Central Senatorial District between 2011 and 2015. He is currently a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state.
Engr. Salawu (Babalaje designate) is a successful businessman and politician. He is aspiring to represent Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire federal constituency in 2023 and is currently a stalwart of the APC. He will be stepping into the shoes left by late Chief Adebayo Amao Alata, who died in 1992. He has been involved a lot in philanthropic activities.
Mr. Onireti (Atunewese designate) is another Young Turk in the political turf hoping to take over from the old brigades. He is a US-based entrepreneur and has eyes fixed on running for the House of Representatives’ election in 2023 to represent Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire federal constituency. He is presently a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Like Open Salawu, he has proven himself to be a philanthropist under the auspices of Femi Onireti Foundation.
Mrs. Philips (Majeobaje Iyalode designate) is an educationist, who had served at the highest level of teaching profession in the secondary school axis. She served at Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) headquarters, Ibadan, and in the Ogbomoso Zonal office as Director; she is currently the principal of the premier secondary school in Ogbomoso zone – Ogbomoso Grammar School, under whom the school has witnessed tremendous growth and development.