Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Friday said that the legacies of the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Olalekan Balogun in Nigeria’s politics and the development of Ibadan will remain enduring.
He noted that his reign for just two years on the throne of his forefathers attracted more socioeconomic growth to his domain and further drew global attention to Ibadan as the largest city in West Africa, South of the Sahara.
Oba Balogun had reportedly died at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Thursday evening after a brief illness. He was aged 82.
Reacting to the demise of the traditional ruler in a personally signed condolence message forwarded to journalists, Adeyemo stated: “There is no doubting the fact that the late Olubadan played a significant role in the nation’s political development before and during his stint as a lawmaker, who represented Oyo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly between June 3, 1999, and June 3, 2003.”
It reads: “Apart from his politics right from 1983, which centred on human capital development, Oba Balogun’s interest in sustaining and protecting Yoruba traditional heritage and institution, endeared him to many irrespective of religious and political inclinations.
“His reign for only two years witnessed more economic and infrastructural developments of Ibadanland, thus drawing more significant attention to the historical city in the global space. His death came at a time when his wealth of experience and management capability were needed most in Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole.
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“I personally condole with his immediate family, relatives, our amiable governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde, former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Olubadan-In-Council, the indigenes of Ibadan, Yorubaland as a whole and other stakeholders on the passage of our revered royal father,” the statement concluded.
