Headline

Pendulum: Goodbye Banjul, I Will Be Back Soon

Published

5 years ago

January 11, 2020

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Africans, I was a guest of one of the incredibly visionary sons of Africa, Mustapha Njie, in Banjul, The Gambia, from Monday to Friday this week. Mustapha is one of those quiet but very successful real estate gurus on the continent of Africa. His pan-African company, famously known as TAF, was birthed 30 years ago but the mustard seed he planted then has since grown into a massive oak tree with branches stretching across Africa.

It was celebration time and Mr TAF, as I call my friend and Brother, seriously rolled out the drums as he left no stones unturned to commemorate the landmark and epochal event, where I danced so much in front of legendary singer, Youssou Ndour, two nights ago.

For me the journey to Banjul began from Lagos on 29 December 2019 where I had joined my best friend and brother, Prince Adedamola Aderemi, in concluding the nuptials between his daughter, Adesekemi, and her Sweetheart, Anthony Atuche. The church wedding and reception was a grand, superlative event and it was a befitting finale to the start of married life for the lovebirds.

I left Lagos on 29 December for Accra with Prince Adedamola. This was a quick stopover to connect with the Emirates flight from Accra to Dubai en route London. Apart from tremendous cost savings, I wanted to use the opportunity to see my son, Eniafe, and his cousins, Afolabi and TLash, who were all staying in my home in Accra. Accra was the convergence point this festive season for Africans in the diaspora and all lovers of Africa as the Ghanaian Government played hosts to Africans and persons of African descent in what was tagged the Year of Return. Eniafe, who is steadily growing into a consummate entertainment journalist and even did a brief anchor role for CNN Africa on Instagram, was deeply involved with reporting the events and we had not spent enough time together over the Christmas period for this reason. It was his birthday on Christmas day and he had just spent a few hours with his younger brother, Korewa, his cousins, Aunts and myself before jetting out to Accra for his media assignment. We managed to spend a few more hours together in Accra before Prince Adedamola and I boarded our flight to Dubai.

We arrived Dubai in the morning of 30^th December and spent one night in Dubai to catch our breath from all the excitement of the wedding over the previous week. We left Dubai on 31 December 2019 because we wanted to be part of the events ushering in the New Year in London and I wanted to spend time with my wife and other two older sons, Olupekan and Enitanyole who had opted to remain in England. The fireworks display in London to celebrate the dawn of the new year is always an awesome, awe inspiring jaw-dropping grand affair. It is a real spectacle and a lovely sight to behold as the renowned London Eye serves as a glittering backdrop to the array of glittering, shimmering, luminous lights and sound that the fireworks herald. In reality, London is famed for its New Year revelry and it is always fun to partake in it with family and friends.

After enjoying the advent of the new year, it was time to return to Accra in order to connect to my trip to Banjul to attend my Brother, Mustapha’s fantastic and fastidiously organised events. I left London for Dubai en route Accra with Emirates Airline on 4^th January 2020. Our flight on Emirates Airlines was arranged by the highly efficient and indefatigable Mrs Nike Adesokan, proprietor of Travelright, who attended to our needs regardless of the different time zones that we sometimes were. We were pleasantly surprised to find out not only that she had checked us in on all our flights when we were struggling with such mundane tasks. It was a joy to have such a delightful woman and her pleasant team co-ordinate our trips for us.

After I arrived Accra on 5^th January 2020, I spent one night recharging my batteries before setting out for Banjul via Liberia on Asky Airlines, the Togolese airline. I was accompanied on the trip my cameraman and videographer, Ben Osei, a young but very brilliant and efficient gentleman. We arrived Banjul to a spectacular welcome arranged by our host Mustapha. Our hotel, named the African Princess, was spanking new and heavenly. I could never have believed any other Hotel could make me forget the Coco Ocean so easily. I promptly converted my trip to a continuation of my festive holidays. Sorry if this sounds like an advert but I’m happy to inform you that some African countries are truly serious about tourism.

It may seem hyperbolic if I describe TAF as one of the most tenacious and ambitious organisations I ever encountered. Since our paths first crossed in the year 2000, the company has grown so much that I have started seeing Mustapha as a magician. From humble beginnings as a real estate agency in Banjul, Mustapha has grown the business to such an extent that he is now developing estates on a large scale in The Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal and Southern Africa. His prowess and vision remind me of Dubai in some ways, because he not only wants to be the biggest and best in his business in Africa, he wants to build the biggest, largest and the best in Africa.

Mustapha’s passion is in building affordable houses across Africa. Despite his emphasis on affordable housing, he does not stint in the quality of materials that he uses and the high standards that he seeks to attain. Indeed, what Mustapha gives you are luxurious, but affordable homes.

TAF Construction has become a massive business. It now employs hundreds of people in eight different countries namely, The Gambia and Nigeria, where the company is highly dominant, and Rwanda, Senegal, Cameroon, Togo, Ivory Coast and Mozambique, where the company is rising steadily and strongly.

It has done exceedingly well in the Gambia, the Brufut Gardens Estate and the Dalaba Estate, Banjul, and in the South South of Nigeria, the RIVTAF Golf Estate in Port Harcourt. The Brufut Gardens Estate has 700 homes and was launched in 2006. The Dalaba Estate is a high-end luxury estate launched in 2018 with 374 homes of sheer luxury and great attention to detail. The same can be said of the RIVTAF Golf Estate in Port Harcourt, with over 1000 homes built on more than 40 hectares of land, which is luxury, opulence and new age technology combined. The Estate is complemented by a 9-hole golf course and use solar power to complement its electricity. Mustapha is very proud of his company’s achievements with the RIVTAF Golf Estate but he is always quick to point out that his laudable achievements in Rivers State could not have occurred without the support of successive Governors that have eased all his business concerns and have been pillars of support. He is also grateful for the goodwill and support that he receives from the Rivers people and ensures that annually he fulfils his Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations by spending at least 1% of turnover on social infrastructure within the community, just like he does in the Gambia. Mustapha commends his Nigerian staff for sharing his vision and keying into it. It is interesting to note that although the estate is in the South South, his management team comes from all parts of Nigeria. Indeed, he is an example of how nationalistic a truly Nigerian conglomerate should be.

Mustapha has set himself huge targets and goals. His plan is to build at least 10,000 homes in the Gambia in 10 years at 1000 homes annually. He has been meeting this target and is already more than halfway there after only four years of setting this goal. His vision for Africa is even greater and bolder. His aim is to build at least a million homes across Africa by 2040, which is only 20 years away. Given his work ethic, passion and compassion I have no doubt that these seemingly daunting goals are not mission impossible but vision attainable and I wish Mustapha the very best as he proceeds on another 30-year journey of growth and inspiration.

My visit to The Gambia could not have ended without some form of State Visit to the First Family. I have been visiting the Gambia now for about 20 years and each time I go there has always been an arrangement for me to meet with the leaders of the country or their family. I was in Banjul in last days of the eventual ouster of the former President, Yahya Jammeh, when I accompanied former President John Mahama of Ghana and President Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia to the Gambia as they tried to persuade Jammeh to relinquish power and leave the Gambia, which he eventually did.

This trip was no different as it was arranged for me by my friend, Mrs Rebecca Bensouda, who had been introduced to me by Isha Tejan-Cole in 2000, to meet with the First Lady, the charming, elegant and graceful, Fatoumatta Bah Barrow. It was a special and personal occasion for me as the First Lady gushed about the fact that she had been an avid reader of Ovation magazine and my ardent follower for more than 15 years, since the time when she was sojourning in London. She even told me one of her favorite covers was that of Modupe Ozolua. Naturally, I had been oblivious to this fact and it was such a humbling moment being informed about her love for Ovation by the First lady.

We had a very interesting time with the warm and gracious First Lady. We were made comfortable. She was simple and open, with no airs at all. A truly remarkable woman for whom her position is nothing but a gift from God which she daily gives thanks for and acknowledges must end someday.

I had wished the journey won’t end so soon but Lagos beckoned for the 80th birthday extravaganza of Chief Eleganza Rasak Akanni Okoya. But I promised to be back in The Gambia soon.

What a year already…

SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO CHIEF DR RASAK AKANNI OKOYA

I feel privileged to know and write about CHIEF ABDULRASAK AKANNI OKOYA, the iconic businessman and industrialist extraordinaire, a perfect gentleman I call Daddy. Our relationship has grown to the extent that I am honoured to have been introduced to, and met on numerous occasions, his beautiful family and made to feel a part of it.

My earliest recollection of Chief Okoya was from a tribute song written in his honour, and contained in an album, by music legend Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey. In the song the Commander extolled the extensive industrial empire of the ELEGANZA GROUP OF COMPANIES and the virtues of its Octopus-like founder and mover, Chief Okoya. Subsequently, I travelled from Ile-Ife to Lagos and saw the sprawling factories in Alausa owned by this famed and fabled business tycoon, with fingers in many pies including manufacturing, real estate and finance.

I soon became a chronicler of people, places and events as a journalist and it was impossible not to feature Chief Okoya as one of Nigeria’s most successful business titans, a man of style, manufacturing and real estate mogul, man of faith and friend of both the rich and the poor.

One notable incident I recall is accompanying Chief MKO Abiola to Chief Okoya’s Penthouse in Ikoyi Crescent, in the heat of the June 12 crisis. I joined them in breaking the Ramadan Fast that evening. Chief Okoya was remarkably hospitable, and the tension that was palpable in everybody eased considerably because of the effusive charm and wit that he oozed which found a matching spirit in the ebullient Chief Abiola.

Then, I fled to exile in London where Ovation International magazine was conceived. Naturally, Chief Okoya became one of our most featured celebrities due to his cosmopolitan nature. We photographed his luxury home on Bishop’s Avenue as one of the choicest properties of rich and famous Nigerians in England.

At Ovation, we followed Chief Okoya’s activities with religious fervour, simply because he is one of our readers favourites, and soon became constant guests at his tasteful and stylish events. On one occasion, we invited in the great Photographer, T. Y Bello, and we were able to capture nearly every part of his vast and varying property estates. Indeed, the Okoyas have been among the most covered in our feel-good magazine.

On a personal note, Chief Okoya stunned me one evening when he requested that a huge sum should be given to me towards my Presidential campaign in 2011. He said it did not matter to him whether I won or not, but that he admired my ability, courage and style. He started addressing me as “my President”. If more of our rich and powerful elderly personages could emulate Chief Rasak Okoya, our country would be a better place. He recognised that it was essential to encourage and inspire the younger generation because you do not know the heights they will attain and more importantly you do not know that leader that would eventually be conceived as a result of that youth’s inspiring story. I am eternally grateful to him.

I had prayed and looked forward to his 80th birthday and I’m happy it has finally arrived. As I promised his adorable wife, Chief Mrs Folashade Okoya, the Ovation Media Group will today launch an unprecedented media operation to commemorate the occasion and honour this great personality, thus ensuring that the world gives a standing ovation to an indefatigable colossus and cheerful Philanthropist.

Happy birthday and many happy returns, Sir.

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.