Headline

Pendulum: Tributes to Olusegun Osoba and Nduka Obaigbena

Published

6 years ago

July 13, 2019

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, there is no way I can tell the stories of my life, my adventures and whatever I have achieved in journalism, without devoting substantial space to those who have been my inspiration. Two of them, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Prince Nduka Obaigbena, are in their season of big celebrations as they enjoy landmark birthdays. Chief Osoba turns 80 on July 15 2019 whilst Nduka, or “The Duke” as he is more fondly known by close associates will be 60 on 14 July 2019. Although there is a twenty-year gap between them, and Chief Osoba is a revered grandfather of journalism in Nigeria, both of them share the same attribute of bestriding the journalism sphere like a colossus. Here’s a tribute to the two giants of journalism who have been a significant part of my trajectory and had a great influence on my development and establishment as a media personality.

My interaction with Nduka began almost as soon as my sojourn in Lagos started. I arrived Lagos in May 1988 to resume work as a Staff Writer at the African Concord magazine, owned by Chief Moshood Abiola. I had visited Lagos about a month earlier in search of a job. In those days travelling to Lagos was seemingly like travelling to England or America. We viewed Lagos like an Eldorado, paradise on earth! After a quick interview conducted by the Editor of the magazine, Mr Lewis Obi, I was offered a job on the spot. I requested for some time to go back to Ile-Ife, where I lived, to prepare for the new life.

During that visit to Lagos, I took time off to call on a few media organizations in the city. My four favourite organisations were The Guardian, The Concord, Newswatch and Thisweek magazine, owned by Nduka Obaigbena. At the time we were students at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), we had access to many publications. And we were voracious readers. We had our heroes in the media. They included Segun Osoba, Felix Adenaike, Peter Ajayi, Peter Enahoro, Dele Giwa, Doyin Aboaba (later Mrs Doyin Abiola), Yakubu Mohammed, Dan Agbese, Nduka Obaigbena, Sonala Olumhense, Dele Olojede, Amma Ogan, Stanley Macebuh, Folu Olamiti, Olatunji Dare, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, Tunji Lardner Junior, Greg Obong Oshotse, May Ellen Ezekiel, Dare Babarinsa, Seyi Olu Awofeso, Odia Ofeimun, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Andy Akporugo, Nduka Irabor, Tunde Thompson, Taiwo Obe and others.

I was particularly delighted to visit the Thisweek offices at Ogunlana Drive in Surulere. This was a magazine that was determined to push Newswatch, the leading Nigeria weekly magazine of those days, aside. Thisweek was glossy and colourful. It was published in London and airlifted to Nigeria. I marvelled endlessly at the audacity of its Publisher and was even more surprised when I read somewhere that he was not yet 30 when he chose to take on the Newswatch behemoth by poaching some of the best journalists from the biggest media houses in Lagos. This was a man who was going places and attaining great heights and he was barely a year older than me. I felt truly humbled by his courage, boldness and dare devilry. I knew I had so much to learn from him.

My visit to Thisweek would turn out to be a future gamechanger for me. Lanre Idowu had introduced me to Nduka Obaigbena and described me as one of those troublesome writers from Ile-Ife, referring to my partner, Kunle Ajibade, with whom I had co-authored a controversial article that had gone viral. Nduka immediately warmed up to me. He led me into his office and instantly gave me an article to pen and paid me N100 for it. Let me say, N100 was big money in those good old days. I was elated. That was how we struck our friendship and we have never parted ways since then. Our relationship is truly surreal as we are almost like blood relations sharing a similar passion for excellence in journalism and the company of great men and women. I shall return to this.

I had some challenges when I returned to resume work in Lagos. The major problem was, of course, accommodation. I had to squat with different friends at various locations. Let me pull out the one most relevant to this story. I was staying with Segun and Funke Adegbesan in Adeniran Ajao Estate, by Anthony Village. Segun worked as a Lawyer at Gani Fawehinmi chambers very close to the house. That is another story for another day.

The main gist is that Segun had a music box that played cassettes. My favourite of them all was a release by Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey in which he praised Olusegun Osoba to high heavens:

“Olusegun o, Olusegun o, omo Osoba, Omo Osoba, Akinrogun moba rode…

Abata pa, abata pa Osoba yii daraba Olusegun…

Awo Felix Adenaike, awo Peter Ajayi, awo Funlola Okunowo, awo Bukola Okunowo mi, ati Bade Ojora, omo Apasa mi…”

This song was like an elixir of life for me! I played it as soon as I woke up every morning and also at night before sleeping off. I had already heard fantastic stories about the awesome exploits and derring-do of this esteemed journalist called Segun Osoba and was determined to emulate him. My God, I tapped into the generous grace of this man called Osoba and prayed that God should grant me such as well. It became an obsession for me. You can now imagine what it must have been like meeting this legend in body and soul.

Our paths would cross many times in the future, but at that time I was a fledgling tyro journalist while he was an embodiment of the quintessential Nigerian journalist that we all strove to be. Osoba was a mantra I chanted regularly. I studied him like a book. And, I must say, my respect for him grew in leaps and bounds. Osoba was very close to my Chairman, Chief Moshood Abiola. From our first encounter, we fell in love with each other. Time and space would not allow me to write much. But I became his protege. What I admired most in him was his extensive network of friends and associates and how he found time for almost everyone. I wished to acquire such level of experience and exposure.

His foray into politics was another remarkable aspect of his life. He was the prototype who proved that journalists could aspire to be anything that they wanted. There was style and class in Journalism and both Osboa and Nduka symbolise this. While Osoba took the world of journalism by storm, what he did in politics was even bigger. He went on to become Governor of Ogun State after only a short stint in politics. He was as dynamic in politics as he had been in journalism. I was not very surprised by his conquests and giant strides. His suaveness and impeccability were such that his successes were assured in whatever he touched. His impact on Ogun State was short-lived because of the June 12 debacle.

As if by divine coincidence, I went to visit Chief Osoba in Abeokuta during the June 12 crisis. This must have been on July 21, 1995 because the biggest drama of my life started on July 22, the day after. I therefore have poignant memories of that day. Chief Osoba and I discussed the impasse that June 12 had become, but we were not prepared for what happened next. He was a strong Abiola supporter who stood for justice. When it became necessary, he realised that the fight had become an external one, as well, he left Nigeria and tried to use his friends in the international media to bring our plight to the fore and ask for both. I never envisaged the monumental surprise that awaited me in Lagos when I returned from Abeokuta. I ran into my wife on my way home and she broke the news to me. Some gentlemen had found their way to my flat in Ojodu. Apparently, they had picked up Intelligence that I was going to be arrested and detained as one of the suspected brains behind Radio Freedom which later metamorphosed into Radio Kudirat. So, I was advised to take cover and disappear into thin air. That was it. I never planned to live outside Nigeria.

I managed to escape Nigeria through the Seme bush and meandered my way via Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana until I landed in London. Meanwhile, Chief Osoba was facing his own ordeal back home. He was being harassed by the Abacha government. He eventually found his way to London. For both of us. London was too cold blooded. I visited him regularly and we walked a lot around his neighbourhood in the Swiss Cottage and St. John’s Wood area of London.

On June 8, 1998, some people woke me up with what I considered to be the rumours of General Sani Abacha’s death. I promptly dismissed these stories as untrue and impossible and went back to sleep. Abacha was just literarily larger than life and I could not comprehend news of his death. The call I got from Chief Osoba changed all that. I thought to myself, how on earth can Chief Osoba believe Abacha could ever die, but he insisted his sources were credible and that was it. The rest is history. We remained even closer since then.

I joined so many Nigerians to celebrate Chief Osoba at the launch of his book last Monday and, as always, Chief Osoba sparkled brilliantly like a million stars. The book BATTLELINES was written to commemorate his 80th birthday which comes up in a couple of days. My warm and hearty congratulations to him.

Back to my very dear friend and Brother, Nduka Obaigbena. From 1988 to date, we have come a long way together, through thick and thin. He has really touched my life in many ways. As he clocks 60 years, I’m proud to be associated with him and I raise a toast to one of the most daring, intelligent, hardworking and flamboyant journalists Nigeria has ever produced. It is fitting to celebrate him with Chief Osoba because they are of the same cloth, the same ilk! It is difficult to find a Publisher like this exceptionally gifted man, we call the Duke.

Nduka taught me so many things. In 1991, he cleared the way for me to obtain visas with ease as a journalist of repute. In 1992, he invited me to midwife what is today known as Thisday newspapers and bought me a brand new Peugeot. In 1992, he travelled all the way to Ijebu-Ode for my wedding. In 1993, we supported two different Presidential candidates. I supported Moshood Abiola while he supported Bashir Tofa. On June 14, 1993, after I departed Vienna where I had gone to represent Chief Abiola at the Bruno Kreisky Awards won by Chief Gani Fawehinmi, I made a call to Nduka from London, to let him know that I had arrived and discuss the turbulent, suspensory political situation in Nigeria. I received the rudest shock of my life when he gave me an inkling of the annulment to come. I told him it was impossible, but it turned out that Nduka was right as usual. He has such incredible sources!

Nduka and I found ourselves at some point in exile in London. We had our offices on Kilburn High Road. We were together in his apartment in West London with Tokunbo Afikuyomi two days before Chief Abiola died on July 7, 1998. He returned to Nigeria and turned Thisday into the formidable media empire and conglomerate that it has now become.

Nduka loves his friends dearly. He has been too kind to me, and I have only just mentioned a few instances. He never fails to acknowledge my humble contribution to the birth of one of Africa’s most influential newspapers as a Founding Editor.

He has suffered greatly for his daredevil approach to journalism, but he has remained unbowed and unmoved in the face of massive intimidation. He has always overcome! Nduka has managed to remain a dominant force and recently forayed into electronic media with the Arise News Channel. Within a short time, Arise has become one of the most authoritative news channels in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. Well done Nduka. I applaud you. You deserve all the plaudits.

60 hearty cheers to the Duke himself …

Headline

Rivers Crisis: The Taming of Sim Fubara

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Listening to the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on matters arising over his suspension and possible reinstatement, one is bound to conclude that the embattled governor, who fell under the hammer of executive emergency declaration, either buckled to pressure from high places, or have compromised his hard stand as a no-nonsense people-oriented governor. In all, it is believed that Fubara has been categorically tamed; a situation profoundly compared to William Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’.

The Rivers State scenario typically adapted the characterisation of the Shakespeare’s classic, where the character, Christopher Sly, was roundly pranked by a mischievous nobleman to mistakenly believe that he too was of nobility. Alas, it was a ploy to tame his ego, distract him from what he cherished most.

Fubara, at the service of songs held in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, in honour of late Edwin Clark, elder statesman and the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), not only disclosed that his heart is no longer in the governorship job from which he was suspended almost two months ago, but lambasted his supporters and followers for adopting the ‘oshogbe’ approach in fighting for his cause.

Fubara, in a tone, that betrayed his earlier tough stand, said he is not desperate to return to office nearly two months after President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in the state.

“Have you asked yourself, do you think I’m interested in going back there? I want to ask you—don’t you see how much better I’m doing?” Fubara asked the audience at the service of songs.

“Do you think I’m interested in going back there? If I had my way, I would say this is it. This is the will of God. I don’t wish to go back there. My spirit has left that place,” he added, much to the surprise of a divided in opinion audience.

Fubara was not only basking in the euphoria of a deceived commoner, but also wore the garb of Katherina, the unwilling participant, who was tamed by his would-be groom with various psychological torments, including refusing food and drink until she becomes an obedient, desirable and compliant bride.

This typifies the beginning of the relationship between Fubara and his erstwhile benefactor, Wike, who went the whole yard, proving the not available nobility of the then chief accountant, denying him the appurtenaces of the office of Governor till he can become what they want of him. And like Katherina to Petruchio in Shakespeare’s classic, the Rivers governor has completely turned around, jettisoned his supposed shrewness to become a loyalist, who is now at the beck and call of the master. If his masters say a man is a woman, or the sun is the moon, the tamed subject will willingly agree, and without rancour. His actions and utterances have to a great extent proved his tamed status.

Fubara’s remark was in response to several tributes by members of the Rivers Elders Forum, who referred to him as “governor” and condemned his suspension.

Unlike the Fubara before the March 18 suspension by President Bola Tinubu, the governor dissociated himself from those statements, describing them as personal views not aligned with his approach.

He said such comments were unlikely to support peace in the state.

The governor also expressed concerns that actions taken by some of his backers had, in fact, worsened the crisis.

He asked the audience to focus their reflections on Clark’s life and legacy, rather than turning the event into a political protest.

It would be recalled that Fubara’s alleged change of heart in the heated crises that have seen him become estranged with his political godfather and immediate past governor of Rivers State, who is presently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, became visible after his supposed meeting with Tinubu in London. Though the outcome of the meeting is yet unknown, recent actions and utterances of the governor tends to prove that a sort of compromise, which may seem detrimental to his political future, was arrived at. He was quoted shortly after arriving Nigeria from London, as saying that Tinubu should be supported.

Wike, with whom he has been at loggerheads over leadership of party structure in the state for over 18 months, confirmed during a media chat on Monday, that the embattled governor visited his Abuja residence, with two other governors, to plea for peace and understanding.

Recall also that Fubara and Wike have been locked in a bitter political standoff since late 2023. This created a dichotomy in the leadership loyalty with Wike controlling the members of the House of Assembly, except for four of them, while Fubara controlled the executive. Both arms of government have not been able to see eye to eye until the eventual emergency rule declaration. While the Assembly sought to impeach the governor, the governor and his team were bent on kicking the Assembly members out, leaning on their well celebrated decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The members later denied defecting.

On Friday, February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court made landmark pronouncements that placed Governor Fubara on the receiving end, and giving Wike and his supporters victory in what seem to be a foreclosure in the game of throne that paralysed the political and administrative existence of the state since inauguration in 2023.

Not only did the court nullified all the structures that sustained Fubara’s administration, it lambasted the governor, thoroughly reducing him to a laughing stock among Wike and his followers, berating him for breaking down the Rivers State House of Assembly building as a way to stop the defected 27 lawmakers from sitting, thereby forcing them to sit outside to carry out their lawful activities.

The justices said it is a regular occurrence for those in executive power who feel threatened that their seat is being taken or is about to be impeached to resort to actions like demolishing buildings and other acts of bigamy.

THE ROAD TO PEACE

Fubara, seeming to have lost following the Supreme Court judgment, started exploring every option to ensure peace so that his impeachment is never put on the table. As a result, putting aside the disgrace of being locked out of the assembly quarters, the governor promised to re-present the budget in fulfillment of the Supreme Court order, choosing Wednesday March 19, 2025, or any other date in March, the lawmakers might choose. But the President preempted the move with an emergency rule.

Rivers State has been at the centre of a deepening political feud between Fubara and his predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike.

Following the political situation in the state, President Bola Tinubu intervened in December 2023, brokering a peace deal between both sides.

However, on March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all the state lawmakers, temporarily bringing the tension in the state to an end

The President also appointed a retired naval chief, Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the sole administrator of the oil-rich state.

The move effectively dissolved the existing government structure, placing the state under federal control.

The 11 Peoples Democratic Party governors had filed a suit at the Supreme Court in protest, to challenge the President’s action; a move the National Assembly challenged, urging the court to dismiss the suit filed by the PDP governors.

The National Assembly also contended that the suit was procedurally flawed and lacked merit, while further arguing that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and should award N1 billion in costs against the plaintiffs for filing what it termed a frivolous and speculative suit.

The suit is yet to be determined.

Fubara remains in limbo, but seems to have chosen the path that would give him a soft political landing. Every finger points to the fact that he may have compromised his mandate, pushing his fighting supporters to stop the criticisms against Tinubu and Wike as well as insinuating that he was fed with the governorship mandate.

It has also been alleged that even if Fubara is restored to complete his term, he may not be allowed to seek another term. This could be the premise on which the suspended governor is speaking from the other side of the mouth.

When Shakespeare wrote The Taming of the Shrew many centuries ago, exactly between 1590 – 1592, the Wike/Fubara was not in the equation, but today, the plot typifies the present day Rivers State where the incumbent governor has been tamed to speak everything good of his tormentors.

It is still not known, however, if Fubara will make good his threat not to return to office, but it has become obvious that he is now willing to dance to the tune of he that pays the piper.

Headline

Behold the First Ever American Pope, Robert Francis Prevost

Published

7 days ago

May 9, 2025

Eric

Robert Francis Prevost, the first pope from the United States, has a history of missionary work in Peru but also a keen grasp of the inner workings of the Church.

The new Leo XIV, a Chicago native, was entrusted by his predecessor Francis, to head the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, charged with advising the pontiff on new bishop appointments.

The sign of confidence from Francis speaks to Prevost’s commitment as a missionary in Peru to the “peripheries” – overlooked areas far from Rome prioritised by Francis – and his reputation as a bridge-builder and moderate within the Curia.

The 69-year-old Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Chiclayo, Peru, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023 after being named Prefect of the Dicastery, one of the Vatican’s most important departments — and a post that introduced him to all key players in the Church.

Vatican watchers had given Prevost the highest chances among the group of US cardinals of being pope, given his pastoral bent, global view and ability to navigate the central bureaucracy.

Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, called him “the least American of the Americans” for his soft-spoken touch.

His strong grounding in canon law has also been seen as reassuring to more conservative cardinals seeking a greater focus on Theology.

Following Francis’s death, Prevost said there was “still so much to do” in the work of the Church.

“We can’t stop, we can’t turn back. We have to see how the Holy Spirit wants the Church to be today and tomorrow, because today’s world, in which the Church lives, is not the same as the world of ten or 20 years ago,” he told Vatican News last month.

“The message is always the same: proclaim Jesus Christ, proclaim the Gospel, but the way to reach today’s people, young people, the poor, politicians, is different,” he said.

Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost attended a Minor Seminary of the Order of St Augustine in St Louis as a novice before graduating from Philadelphia’s Villanova University, an Augustinian institution, with a degree in Mathematics.

After receiving a masters degree in divinity from Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union in 1982, and a doctorate decree in canon law in Rome, the polyglot joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985 for the first of his decade-long missions in that country.

Returning to Chicago in 1999, he was made provincial prior of the Augustinians in the US Midwest and later the prior general of the order throughout the world.

But he returned to Peru in 2014 when Francis appointed him as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in the country’s north.

Nearly a decade later, Prevost’s appointment in 2023 as head of the Dicastery came after Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and resigned for age reasons.

The Vatican later dropped the case against Ouellet for insufficient evidence.

Prevost also serves as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Headline

Remembering Ife’s 50th Ooni, Oba Sijuwade Okunade

Published

1 week ago

May 6, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

10 years after the death of one of the most cosmopolitan monarchs Nigeria has produced, His Imperial Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II CFR, family, friends and the traditional institutions are gearing up for a mother of all remembrance and memorial ceremony. Oba Okunade Sijuwade is the 50th Oni of Ife.

On Tuesday, at the elaborate Civic Centre, in the heart of Victoria Island, stakeholders and people of interest, gathered to inform the public through the media, veritable steps being taken to honour the progeny of Oduduwa and until his death in 2015, the prime custodian of the Yoruba tradition.

According to the invitation to the media briefing, organizers noted that the events are being held in conjunction with the National Council of Traditional Rulers under the Chairmanship of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife CFR and His Eminence Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto CFR.

In his address, the Curator and Consultant for the 10th year Memorial Celebration of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, Dr. Oludamola Adebowale, described the event as a decade of legacy, while noting as follows:

“A Decade of Legacy: 10th Year Memorial Celebration of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II.

“At a press briefing held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, the family of the late Ooni of ile-Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, unveiled a series of cultural, intellectual, and commemorative events marking the 10th anniversary of the revered monarch’s passing. The Programme is a tribute to his enduring legacy as a custodian of culture, a bridge-builder across Nigeria, and a global advocate for African heritage.

“Organized in partnership with the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, the memorial activities are spearheaded by the Co-chairmen of the Council, Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, alongside His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, the Sultan of Sokoto.

“A key highlight is a Three-State Inter-School Debate Tour featuring students from King’s College, Lagos; Abeokuta Grammar School; Oba Sijuwade’s alma mater; and Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife. The theme, “Traditional Governance vs. Modern Democracy: Which Best Preserves Cultural Heritage?’ invites students to explore the relevance of indigenous leadership in today’s world. The final debate presentation will be held on July 25, 2025.

“Another major feature is the Grand Memorial Exhibition, showcasing rare photographs, personal items, and archival materials from Oba Sijuwade’s life and reign—many being displayed publicly for the first time. The exhibition features collections from the National Archives of Nigeria, the UK National Archives, Horniman Museum & Gardens (UK), and the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (Florida), home of the Dr. Niara Sudarkasa Collection and also the Sijuwade Personal Collection.

“The exhibition is curated by renowned cultural historian and archivist Dr. Oludamola ADEBOWALE.

“A national symposium titled “Unifying and Securing Nigeria’s Future Through Traditional Institutions” will gather traditional rulers, scholars, and policymakers to examine the evolving role of indigenous leadership in peacebuilding, national identity, and governance.

“The grand finale of the memorial will take place in Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilization. It includes a church thanksgiving service and solemn prayers at the late Ooni’s mausoleum—concluding the memorial in dignity and grandeur.

“Looking ahead, the Sijuwade family announced a series of legacy projects, including:

– A Nubian Jak Blue Plaque at his former London residence, recognizing his global impact in cultural diplomacy.

– The launch of a commemorative book detailing his life, leadership, and international engagements.

– The development of the Oba Okunade Sijuwade Memorial Hall and Museum in Ile-Ife to preserve his legacy and Yoruba heritage.

“This far-reaching initiative reflects the far-sighted vision of Oba Okunade Sijuwade—an imperial figure whose reign was defined by grace, wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to cultural excellence. These legacy projects are not only tributes to his memory but enduring pillars that will continue to inspire future generations in Nigeria, across Africa, and throughout the global diaspora. Through them, the timeless values he embodied—dignity, unity, heritage, and leadership—will live on, shaping a future deeply rooted in the strength of tradition and the promise of progress.

OBA OKUNADE SIJUWADE (1930 – 2015)

According to accounts obtained from Wikipedia, the life and times of Oba Sijuwade is captured as follows:

Born January 1, 1930, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade CFR, was the 50th traditional ruler (or Ooni) of Ife from December 6, 1980 to his death on July 28, 2015. He reigned for 35 influential years, taking the regnal name Olubuse II. His installation ceremony was attended by the Emir of Kano, Oba of Benin, Amayanabo of Opobo and Olu of Warri, as well as by representatives of the Queen of the United Kingdom.

Sijuwade was born to the ruling House of Sijuwade which is a fraction of the Ogboru ruling house, Ilare, Ile-Ife. His paternal grandfather was Ooni Adelekan Sijuwade – Olubuse I the 46th Ooni of Ife who ruled from 1884 – 1910. While his father was Omo-Oba Adereti Sijuade (1895 – 11 May 1949) and his mother was, Yeyeolori Emilia Ifasesin Sijuwade (nee Osukoti Adugbolu), from the town of Akure. He was a Christian and in November 2009 he attended the annual general meeting of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria accompanied by 17 other traditional rulers. He declared that he was a full member of the church and said all the monarchs who accompanied him would now become members. At his birthday celebration two months later, the Primate of the Anglican Communion described Sijuwade as “a humble monarch, who has the fear of God at heart”.

Oba Okunade Sijuwade or Prince Okunade Sijuwade as he was then called started his elementary education at Igbedin School, Abeokuta from where he proceeded to Abeokuta Grammar School under the governance of the well-known educationalist Reverend I O Ransome-Kuti, who was the principal of the school. Upon leaving Abeokuta Grammar School, Oba Okunade Sijuwade transferred to Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife before attending Northampton Technical College in the United Kingdom to study business management.

He worked for three years in his father’s business, then for two years with the Nigerian Tribune, first as a reporter then a sales executive before going to university.

By the age of 30, he was a manager in A.G Leventis, a Greek-Nigerian conglomerate. In 1963 he became Sales Director of the state-owned National Motors in Lagos. After spotting a business opportunity during a 1964 visit to the Soviet Union, he formed WAATECO a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria, which became the nucleus of a widespread business empire. He also invested in real estate in his hometown of Ile Ife. By the time Sijuwade was crowned Ooni in 1980 he was already a wealthy man.

Shortly after becoming the 50th Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade founded Sijuwade Group, which he was the chairman of. The conglomerate operates in several sectors including oil and gas, infrastructure, real estate, industrials, and hospitality. The company holds partnerships with several multinational companies such as Centrica, Equinor (formerly Statoil), CCC, Eser and RCC (Reynolds Construction Company) and has executed over $2 billion worth of contracts and projects in Nigeria.

When Sijuwade became Ooni of Ife in December 1980, he inherited an ongoing dispute over supremacy between the obas of Yorubaland. In 1967 a crisis had been resolved when Chief Obafemi Awolowo was chosen as the leader of the Yoruba. In 1976 the Governor of Oyo State, General David Jemibewon, had decreed that the Ooni of Ife would be the permanent chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs. Other Obas led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi said the position should rotate. The dispute calmed down when Osun State was carved out of Oyo State in August 1991, but ill will persisted.

Towards the end of 2009 a more local dispute between the Ooni, the Awujale of Ijebuland and the Alake of Egbaland was finally resolved. Sijuwade traced the dispute back to a falling out between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola during the Nigerian First Republic, which had led to a division between the traditional rulers.

In February 2009, Sijuwade helped mediate in a dispute over land ownership between the communities of Ife and Modakeke, resolved in part through the elevation of the Ogunsua of Modakeke as an Oba. The new Oba, Francis Adedoyin, would be under the headship of Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

Oba Okunade Sijuwade had 4 wives and 20 children in total. His wives were:

Yeyeluwa Oyetunde Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s first wife and the first Yeyeluwa of Ife. She was the mother to Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade.
Olori Morisola Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s second wife and the second Yeyeluwa of Ife from 1986 after Yeyeluwa Oyetunde Sijuwade’s death.
Olori Oladunni Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s third wife and the daughter of the very popular politician Chief Adedamola Harold-Sodipo.
Olori Odunola Sijuwade, a princess of Ila-Orangun and the daughter of the revered Ila-Orangun, Oba William Ayeni.

According to Forbes Oba Okunade Sijuwade was the third Richest King in Africa. He also owned several residentials properties in Nigeria and the United Kingdom including Chester Terrace, Grosvenor Square, and a country home in Burnham, Buckinghamshire. In the 80’s, shortly after Oba Okunade Sijuwade became the Ooni of Ife, he visited President Rajiv Gandhi of India and King Fahd Al Saud of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of both countries to foster friendly relations between them and Nigeria. Few years later as Ooni, he visited Japan to meet Emperor Akihito along with Emir Ado Bayero of Kano.

Activities are expected to kick off in mid June 2025, and terminate late July, 2025.