Soun commissions ‘Magnificent Palace’ at Orile-Aipo
Bello ABDULRASAK
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History was written Thursday at Orile-Aipo in Oriire local government area of Oyo state, as the ancient town got a modern palace, built by the Alaipo Royal Family.
Many dignitaries witnessed the occasion including the Soun of Ogbomosoland His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, represented by the Areago of Ogbomosoland High Chief Sobalaje Otolorin; Aale of Okelerin, His Royal Majesty Oba Samuel Babatunde Amao; Alara Fapote and several other traditional rulers.
Some other dignitaries were Prince Tunde Aremu, CEO of Irorun Agbe Farm Boosters; Dr. Kunle Adegbite, founder and chairman of Twindad Foundation and candidate of Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) for Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire federal constituency in the forthcoming 2027 elections; Hon. Joshua Bamigboye, candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Oriire state constituency in 2027; Aare Kunle Tanwa, an Ibadan-based businessman and son-in-law to Alaipo; Barrister Ajayi, CEO of Kiki Ofin Law Chambers among others.
Speaking at the event the Soun congratulated Alaipo, His Royal Majesty Oba Thomas Onaolapo Ajadi Oloyede IV; for the completion of the project while wishing him greater achievements.
Oba Amao, Aale of Okelerin, congratulating Alaipo for what he called “this magnificent palace,” hailed Oba Ghandi that “good things like these are happening during his reign.”
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Aale noted that it is a project that aligns with Oba Ghandi’s 25-year development agenda, charging all for the development of the zone.
Prince Tunde Aremu Irorun Agbe credited his successes today to God and Alaipo recalling the monarch stood solidly by him in his days of struggle. “When things were difficult for me, when to eat was difficult, Alaipo stood by me. He encouraged me, counselled me, guided me, and gave me money continually though I was a tenant in his house. If he didn’t help me that time maybe I would have died.”
Prophet M.I. Oyelade, a.k.a. Baba Isaiah, also congratulated Alaipo and expressed joy that “a good thing like this is happening in Aipo and Ogbomoso generally.”
High Chief Dr Saka Balogun (after requesting the permission of Areago to talk) praised the father of Oba Thomas Onaolapo Ajadi Aipo, for what he described as his yeoman’s job in ensuring the Oriire local government became part of Ogbomosoland. “The father of the current Alaipo and some other Alahoros in the area gave evidences that supported the claim of Ogbomoso over ownership of most lands in Oriire council area and their evidences made the apex court to award the land to Ogbomoso over Oyo.”
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High Chief Balogun who is Balogun of Ogbomosoland consequently charged everyone to do good and bequeath good legacies, stressing, “If you do not reap it in your lifetime your children will. The incumbent Alaipo is reaping what his father sowed. I was a part of those who insisted Oba Thomas Onaolapo should be made the Alaipo because of his father’s deeds. We should endeavour to do good.”
In his sermon titled, “Palace built for God’s glory and the good of the people,” Rev’d Dr. Thomas Niyi Ojo, president of Ogbomoso Baptist Conference, also noted, “this is a magnificent palace and it is due to the grace of God that the project was executed.”
Rev’d Ojo urged traditional rulers to ensure that their palaces have the following characteristics in order to fulfil God’s mandate. These include their acknowledgement as a gift of God, setting it apart for God alone, acknowledging only God has ultimate authority over the palace, must be for the good of the generality of the people and be accessible, should be a place of righteous leadership, should not be a centre for oppression but of caring for the people, a centre of justice devoid of partiality and miscarriage of justice and a place legacy is built for the future generations.
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The cleric challenged Alaipo and all traditional rulers on the imperative of establishing a good legacy for the coming generation, adding, “I want to plead with all monarchs, do not exhaust all your families’ inheritance today, so that the future generation will meet something too. Do not use the grace you have today to destroy the legacy.”
Onward Christian Soldiers Ogbomoso zone bestowed special honour on Alaipo who is their life patron. This is as Alapata Baptist Church, Ogbomoso, where he worships, presented him with a Bible.
Alaipo in an interview with newsmen expressed gratitude to God and to all who graced the occasion saying it was a dream come true. He said Aipo is a prime place for development, boasting a 22-acre market land, schools etc, and informed the community had been selected as a campus for the proposed Ogbomoso University. He remarked that after the ruins occasioned by the wars of the 19th century, the town has roared back to life.
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