Headline

Pendulum: Who Says Nigeria is Too Tough to Govern

Published

6 years ago

August 3, 2019

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, are you one of those who buy into the fake narrative that our dear beloved country is too difficult to handle; that the different ethnic groups hate one another to the point of death; that Nigeria can never know peace; that all Nigerians are corrupt and fraudulent; that religious fanaticism is our problem; that all hope is lost and we should go our separate ways, and so on, I have good news for you today. I’m willing to risk some measure of boundless optimism rather than my usual pessimism. There is no doubt that Nigeria can frustrate any soul. It is indeed very easy to give up on the possibility of Nigeria ever getting out of the woods. But trust me, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, if we do the right things, and navigate and meander our way, the way we should.

I doubt if the Buhari government would ever change it’s style. I really don’t care any longer. I have moved on, peacefully, and looking forward to the next four years or so. From experience, I know this controversial second term will soon evaporate like the ones before it. Who would have thought 20 years have vamoosed in a jiffy since our return to Democratic rule in 1999? If we could survive those years of hocus-pocus, why can’t we endure the next four years of higgledy-piggleddy!

My sermon is going to be simple and straightforward. Let me quickly tell you when and how we got it all wrong. We lost our paradise in 1966 when the military struck and sacked the most cerebral set of politicians we ever had or assembled. Not just that, we killed the regionalism that made it possible for our major ethnic groups to develop independent of one another and at their own self-determined pace. From that moment on, one military government after the other continued to exchange the baton of foolishness, backwardness and ultimately destruction. They began to ride roughshod on us, pretending to be holier-than-though, while leading us to Golgotha, the place of perdition. Though we claim we now have a civilian administration, it is obvious to discerning minds that we are living in fools’ paradise.

Once we’ve accepted the fact that we are definitely in servitude, the next point is to determine and decide the way out of this quagmire. My proposition is easy. We must search urgently for a good leader while we manage the ones we have now and hope for miracles. I don’t really care where he or she will come from, as long as that person is a Nigerian by birth. I also do not worry about his religious beliefs. All our past leaders had claimed one of the mainstream religions and they have mostly exhibited traits of Lucifer than that of God or Allah. So, let no one come to preach to me about the need to find a suitable Christian or Muslim. Same on the matter of ethnicity, none of our past and current leaders has ever succeeded in turning their parts of Nigeria into anything spectacularly remarkable. Rather they’ve neglected and abandoned their unfortunate places to eternal squalor and majority of their people to subhuman degradation. If anything, perhaps, they created a few emergency entrepreneurs and billionaires. No more.

Now, fast forward. In another two years, the race for the 2023 general elections would have started in full swing. Some have already begun their clandestine moves, leaving nothing to chance. The first mistakes we must never make again is to think a third force can achieve much in the next elections. I’m more interested in who becomes our next President. I have many friends who think I’m obsessed with Presidential election. Sure, I do, because Nigeria operates a Presidential system, which confers humongous power in the hands of the President. We only need that one man to change Nigeria into one of the greatest nations on earth. Try and picture the monstrosity the President controls today. It is unparalleled anywhere in the world. I make bold to say there is no President of a large country as Nigeria as powerful as Muhammadu Buhari. You may be tempted to mention the leaders of USA, Russia and China but, believe me, Buhari has more power than all of them combined. Buhari is in total control of all apparatus of governance in Nigeria. But the power is nothing short of personal aggrandizement, “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Thus, what we then need, urgently, is a leader who can crystallize that enormous power into greatness for our long-suffering country. The new leader must worry less about the alluring aura and the appurtenances of power. The extravagance of public office holders is too bizarre for this time and age. By the lifestyle of the presidency, a dangerous signal is by happenstance sent to the subordinates that governance is a jamboree. It is almost impossible to find a Nigerian politician without the swag of a peacock. There is no such word as service in their lexicon. We need a President who can demystify this outlandish proclivity for profligacy.

The new leader must have a career, investment portfolio, or business. It won’t be too healthy if his life totally depends on proceeds and dividends of politics. He must have sufficient education and must have managed people and resources in his private life. I’m not saying the person must be a graduate, but, really, why not? A country littered with some of the most educated and sophisticated human beings on planet earth should never end up in the hands of near-illiterates and antiquated leaders. A leader is not expected to just govern at home like an Emperor, he would be needed on International scenes and engagements and must be able to represent us well on such occasions. Each of the two leading parties must do a critical search before arriving at their candidates. And where they take it for granted that any unserious candidate they field can win, we the people should punish them at the polls for taking us for granted.

Please, let me say and emphasize this before it escapes me. Nigeria should stop looking for a saint to govern us, but we should also not choose obvious rogues as leaders. We should avoid a witchhunt that is usually based on character assassination. We’ve wasted a lot of far better and much intelligent leaders because of our preference for fake idols of the market place. There is no saint to be found anywhere but nations are governed by performers. Stronger institutions will take care of whatever foibles and idiosyncrasies he may harbour.

We need a leader who is detribalised and who sees every Nigerian as his kinsman. A good President must visibly show love to all and demonstrate it in words and in deeds. He should never fan embers of ethnicity or religion. Our leaders must learn to assemble the best teams regardless of where they come from, the way we select our football players. No leader should waste our scarce resources on sponsoring religious trips abroad. Religion should be a personal relationship between you and your God. Our secularist Constitution should be protected and enforced. Anyone wanting to go to Mecca or Jerusalem is very welcome, but it should be at their own expense.

Let’s now move to what Nigeria needs do to be much greater. Truth is, we all know what to do but none of our leaders is able, or willing, to bell the cat. This is the main tragedy of Nigeria. How can a patient know the prescription for his chronic ailment and yet refuse to buy and take it as regularly as recommended. It is as if our country is on a suicide mission as no one has been able to arrest and reverse the perfidious drift. Our kamikaze attitude calls for serious and divine intervention but from my reading of world history and religious studies, I’m reasonably convinced that “heaven helps only those who help themselves.”

I know the usual excuse in Nigeria is always about lack of funding but I wish to disagree. If we manage the little we have well, we can do so much with it but none of our politicians is ready to reduce his personal comfort. Our leaders live ostentatiously like Royals and not as servants of the people. Nigeria will never make progress unless our leaders consciously decide to have pity and mercy on the country. Even our current President has caught the bug of ceremonial and grandiloquent Presidency. Anyone going through what Nigeria is suffering and sees our annual budget would readily conclude that ours is a cursed nation. And it all begins in Aso Rock Presidential villa where money is wasted like rain water. I have seen no evidence that our economy is a source of worry as leaders continue on their binge.

Education must be the priority of any smart leader. My interactions on global campuses have revealed to me the secrets of all great nations. None of them ever became great without investing substantially in quality education. We are more than double the size of Great Britain which parades about 10 of the top hundred universities in the world. Not just that, practically all these universities are dominated with citizens of China, India and North America. The greatness of those countries are well secured for the future.

I know the next question will be what would I do as President to resurrect our dying education. I think it is not too hard. I will be very practical. It is impossible to build our own Oxford or Cambridge or Harvard or Yale or Stanford in four years but we can start by upgrading a few of our existent institutions of higher learning after doing same at the lower levels. First there must be a clear selection process to determine which schools can be rehabilitated first and fast. Education starts from providing habitable environments. No private investor must be allowed to operate mushroom schools to start with. They must comply with stringent laws and requirements. After the environment is the content or curricular. Teachers must be well trained and adequately remunerated. We should no longer allow teachers’ rewards to wait for them in heaven. Those students who can afford it should be encouraged to go private. Government schools must not be for dregs of society but also for serious minded students in search of robust knowledge.

A good leader must declare states of emergency in several sectors. Each must have a carefully selected, meticulously screened and delicately approved committees of experts. Next to education is power. They almost run neck to neck. No country living in raven darkness can ever prosper. A leader who wants to fix electricity in Nigeria must never worry much about being re-elected into office. He would have to step on some powerful toes. Too many people are benefiting from the current malaise and would not want it to end. This lack of patriotism is largely responsible for the unending embarrassment we suffer over electricity.

The government must be ready to go all out like President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, who was able to inject over 800 megawatts in under two years, after Ghana suffered it’s most outrageous power outages. First, he analysed the situation. He identified foreign companies that can deliver in record time. He confirmed their terms. He came back to his people and gave them the options available to them. The news was not very palatable but he told them the honest truth. I will deliver electricity to every home and even double our requirements and probably sell some to other neighbouring countries but you have to pay commercial tariffs. Many hated him for it but he delivered his own side in record time. This is the only way for Nigeria to go.

President Buhari is on his final lap in power, hopefully, if he is not tempted by the demons of democracy to try a third term, so he has nothing to fear about ending the jinx of power failures in Nigeria. If he and his team are willing to do that which is necessary, there will be light in Nigeria. If that’s all he achieves, God bless him forever.

Nearly all our other challenges require similar templates. Health is wealth. There is no reason why each of the six geo-political regions should not have one world class hospital in the next four years. Again, before our very eyes, Mahama made this happen in Ghana. Wherever there is a will, there is a way. Mahama was ready to sacrifice himself for the good of his country. Many of his fellow citizens felt he was inflicting hardship and pains on them but he pursued his developmental agenda without minding the repercussions or backing down because he kept his eyes on the ball and ultimately on the goal post. He paid dearly for it. He was sacked from office but today Ghana is a proud recipient of brand new airports, sea ports, massive hospitals of international standards, beautiful institutions of learning, new stadiums, new markets, good roads, much improved power stations, modern agriculture, cleaner water systems, beautiful and affordable houses, rural internet connections, better trained artisans, and so on.

We don’t have to re-invent the wheels. I know the political climate in Ghana is not of the same tempo and temperature as that of Nigeria. But a determined leader, and a powerful one at that, like President Buhari can take on the system and do the needful. Unlike Mahama, he no longer has any more election to worry about but only a worthy legacy. I know for a fact, Mahama has so much respect and admiration for Buhari. Our President may wish to reach out to his brother next door (they seem to bond well whenever they meet) to ask him the secrets of sidelining those too selfish to wish their country well in order to deliver monumentally in record time. Humility to learn what we don’t know will take us far but are we ready?

Time is ticking, at supersonic speed.

Headline

Rivers Crisis: The Taming of Sim Fubara

Published

2 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

6 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.