Nowadays, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin formally ascends to the throne because the Olubadan of Ibadan land. On this piece, LAOLU AFOLABI highlights the monarch’s humble beginnings, his advance to the throne, the original nature of the Ibadan non-ruling area chieftaincy, and the symbolic coronation rite that coincides with the brandnew monarch’s christening presen
On July 5, 1935, a captivating boy used to be born within the still Okugbaja Village, situated akin Akanran in what’s now the Ona Ara Native Executive Segment of Oyo Shape, Nigeria. The joyous hour used to be celebrated via his proud folks, Pa Ishola-Okin Owolabi and Madam Adunola Aweni Ope Ajilaran Omoyoade Owolabi. Following the lavish and time-honoured Yoruba custom, the community waited till the 8th moment nearest his beginning to formally bestow upon him his title. In a rite held inside the community compound on July 12, he used to be given the title Akinloye Olalere Owolabi Olakulehin. The title, lavish with cultural use and community heritage, marked the start of his advance in occasion.
Nowadays, any other July 12 and the 89th per annum of his christening, the boy as soon as referred to as Child Olakulehin is ready to ascend to some of the best conventional titles in Yoruba land. In a lavish rite that may pull playground on the historical Mapo Corridor, he’ll be enthroned because the Olubadan of Ibadanland. This crucial tournament will see him don the celebrated beaded crown, symbolising his brandnew situation and authority. With this ascension, he’ll be formally titled His Imperial Majesty, marking a momentous hour no longer just for him and his community but in addition for all the folk that holds the Olubadan name in prime benevolence.
The coronation might be witnessed via the crème-de-la-crème and the influential personalities within the nation and past, as in opposition to the community compound naming rite held 89 years in the past. Dignitaries led via President Bola Tinubu, governors, ministers, prominent conventional rulers, captains of industries, and teachers, amongst others, will observer the coronation of the forty third Olubadan in historical past, on the historical Mapo Corridor, inbuilt 1929, six years prior to the beginning of the brandnew Ibadan monarch. Nowadays, on any other christening per annum, Olakulehin will carry the banner of his ancestors, being the primary from his lineage to turn into the Olubadan. He has selected to endure the title of the community, Olubadan Owolabi Olakulehin, Ige Olakulehin 1.
As a mark of praise for this historical christening, the Babaloja Normal of Oyo Shape, Alhaji Yekeen Abass, ordered markets in Ibadanland to be close nowadays, between 7 am and a couple of pm, in praise of the brandnew Olubadan of Ibadanland. To show that it used to be past the community compound christening, the Babaloja stated the closure of the markets is to offer praise to the primary category Oba and make allowance distant current of visitors. It nearest requested all marketplace buyers and leaders to progress en masse to Mapo Corridor, the venue of the presentation of the tool of place of job to the brandnew monarch.
Some other praise for the brandnew Olubadan of Ibadanland is that he will be the 2nd Olubadan to rule from a befitting palace, nearest the well-known Olubadan Yesufu Oloyede Asanike, who first lived within the used palace at Oja’ba. The ultramodern historical palace sitting magnificently on Oke-Aremo, inaugurated via Governor Seyi Makinde on Wednesday, is to be the brandnew legitimate place of dwelling and palace of next Olubadans, establishing with Oba Olakulehin. Hitherto, the non-public place of dwelling of the succeeding Olubadan had all the time served because the palace, upon ascension to the throne.
Oba Olakulehin’s coronation is an important blessing to Ita-Baale Olugbode, his ancestral home inside the historic town of Ibadan. This momentous tournament revives a historical lineage, because the latter ruler from Ita-Baale used to be Baale Ajayi Oyesile Olugbode, who reigned from 1851 to 1864. The title “Ita-Baale” actually manner the yard of the ruler, derived nearest the name of Baale Olugbode. It’s worthy that because the name “Olubadan” used to be formally created in 1930, the Ita-Baale Olugbode branch had no longer produced an Olubadan till now. The folk holds a unique playground within the historical past of Ibadan, no longer just for its ancestral use as a conglomeration of households in Ibadan but in addition for its non secular heritage. It’s famend for being the place Olubadan Akinyele established his church, the Christ Apostolic Church Olugbode. This church remainder a chief landmark, reflecting the deep-rooted non secular and cultural heritage of the folk. With Oba Olakulehin ascending the throne, Ita-Baale Olugbode is i’m ready to regain its ancient prominence, celebrating a brandnew bankruptcy in its lavish legacy and contributing to the iconic tale of Ibadan’s conventional management.
Oba Olakulehin is a royalty personified. Each folks are from the established Ibadan recognised chieftaincy households. His maternal lineage derives from the Kusidi Population whose ancestral grassland is in Kusidi Village in Egbeda Native Executive Segment. Their ancestral home is inside the historic city of Ibadan at Ile Kusidi in Elekuro.
Each Ibadan community is rooted in a twin heritage comprising each an ancestral grassland and an ancestral home. This custom implies that each and every Ibadan indigene has a village and a community compound inside the town. For the participants of the Olakulehin community, their ancestral village, the place a Baale (village head) presides, is situated at Okugbaja, inside the Akanran branch. Their ancestral home, then again, is located at Ita-Baale Olugbode, which holds profound use because the playground the place Oba Olakulehin started his advance against changing into the Olubadan, establishing as Mogaji (community head) of the Ige Olakulehin community.
Within the societal construction of Ibadan, the location of Mogaji is held in prime benevolence and is regarded as senior to that of the Baale. The Baale is an appointee of the Mogaji, underscoring the authority and recognize commanded via the community head. This hierarchical difference highlights the Mogaji’s pivotal function in each the governance of the community and the wider folk. For Oba Olakulehin, his ascent to the Olubadan throne is deeply intertwined with those familial and cultural traditions. His management advance commenced as Mogaji of the Ige Olakulehin Population of Ita-Baale Olugbode.
A Mogaji will start the advance to turn into the Olubadan the moment he turns into Jagun Olubadan or Jagun Balogun, relying on the place the emptiness exists. There are two traces to the Olubadan, the Otun sequence (civil) and the Balogun sequence (warrior). The Otun sequence has 22 steps to climb to turn into the Olubadan week the Balogun sequence has 23 rungs to the summit. To emerge as Jagun on both sequence is a Herculean job and really aggressive. This is a struggle royale for all community heads contesting for a range.
For Olubadan Olakulehin, he changed into the Mogaji for the Ige Olakulehin Population of Ita-Baale Olugbode, in Ibadan North-East Native Executive Segment of Oyo Shape, in 1983. He used to be put in because the Jagun Balogun of Ibadan land via Oba Asanike in 1986. He nearest rose throughout the ladder and used to be increased in 2006 to the Olubadan-In-Council, beneath Oba Yinusa Bankole Ogundipe, the thirty eighth Olubadan of Ibadan. In 2016, Oba Olakulehin changed into the Balogun of Ibadanland, following the promotion of Oba Saliu Adetunji to the throne of the Olubadan. Olakulehin served as Balogun of Ibadanland for 8 years.
A member of the Olubadan-in-Council qualifies to lend as the top of the standard council in diverse native govt disciplines throughout Ibadan. Royalty starts as any important of the Olubadan turns into the Top Important, following the emergence on the Ekaarun Olubadan or Ekaarun Balogun rungs of the ladders. The council contains the Olubadan, Otun Olubadan, Balogun, Otun Balogun, Osi Olubadan, Osi Balogun, Ashipa Olubadan, Ashipa Balogun, Ekerin Olubadan, Ekerin Balogun, Ekarun Olubadan, Ekarun Balogun and the Iyalode. With the exception of the Olubadan and the Iyalode, the alternative 11 participants are to lend as heads of conventional councils within the 11 native govt disciplines of Ibadanland. The Iyalode is the top of all ladies’s affairs within the land.
For Oba Olakulehin, it used to be a advance of 38 years from Jagun Balogun – Ajia – Bada – Aare Onibon – Gbonnka – Aare Egbe Omo-Oota – Lagunna – Aare In the past – Ayingun – Asaju – Ikolaba – Aare Alasa – Agba Similar – Ekefa – Maye – Abese – Ekaarun Balogun – Ekeerin Balogun – Ashipa Balogun – Osi Balogun – Otun Balogun, Balogun and in spite of everything to the summit of the ladder, the Olubadan of Ibadanland. He effectively stepped on every rung of the ladder till he were given to the summit.
Nowadays, Oba Olakulehin has a presen with historical past as he excursions the Oluwo Labosinde Compound at Oja’ba, Ibadan, the place he’ll carry out conventional rites and the Ose Meji Shrine, the place he’ll be topped because the brandnew Olubadan of Ibadan land, prior to the presentation of body of workers of place of job and tool of place of job to him via Makinde on the Mapo Corridor.
To Oba Olakulehin, nowadays’s tournament affirms the query he requested when he changed into Mogaji in 1986. He spoke in brief with reporters on June 14, 2024, when he went on an inspection consult with to the ultramodern Olubadan Palace, from the place he’ll rule nowadays. He stated, “When we started the ladder (Mogaji), I asked, ‘Do we get to the climax?’ And they said yes. So, I knew that I would become Olubadan of Ibadanland. Now we are there.”
From a mini starting, Olakulehin began his number one college schooling within the village at St James Number one College, Oke Akaran. He therefore moved to Ibadan the place he attended Islamic College, Odoiye. He after going to St Peter Number one College, Aremo, the place he concluded his number one schooling. In a while nearest graduating from number one college, Olakulehin taught as a number one college educator at Wakajaiye within the Akobo branch of Ibadan, prior to he received admission to Yaba Technical Institute for his secondary college schooling with vocational learn about in printing and art work. Upon commencement, he labored on the Ministry of Works, Western Area Executive in Ibadan from 1959, establishing as a third-class clerk. Month running, he received admission to the Yaba Faculty of Generation to review and got his Familiar Nationwide Degree and Upper Nationwide Degree in Development.
Olakulehin used to be recruited in 1970 throughout the Direct Decrease Provider Fee as a second Lieutenant nearest he transferred his provider to the Nigerian Military Corp of Engineers. He served the Military in Benin and Sapele beneath Normal Olusegun Obasanjo as his commanding officer. Oba Olakulehin after served in diverse positions and places around the nation. He rose throughout the ranks to the location of Primary. As an officer, he held diverse positions. Those integrated the Commanding Officer of the Military Upkeep Regiment in Jos, Kaduna and Lagos. He retired spontaneously from the Nigerian Military as a Primary on October 1, 1979, nearest a impressive 25-year occupation in army provider.
Upon disengagement from the army provider, Olakulehin based and integrated FAKOL Nigeria Ltd, a construction contracting corporate which undertook diverse oaths for personal people, firms and the federal government, together with the Nigerian Military. He additionally i’m busy in diverse enterprising endeavours. Those come with the possession and operation of a a hit printing press (Olakulehin Press, after renamed Cast Prints); the established order of FAKOL Bakery, which used to be very well-known for the manufacturing, distribution and provide of Fakol Loaves, Pastries and alternative pioneering confectionaries inside the town of Ibadan.
He made a foray into politics. Olakulehin used to be a initiation member of the Social Democratic Celebration in Oyo Shape right through the 3rd Republic. He used to be elected as a member of the Space of Representatives in 1992, the similar length the Otun Olubadan of Ibadan, Top Important Rashidi Yekini, changed into Senator. Olakulehin represented Ibadan South East Constituency and served as Chairman of the Space Committee of the Nigerian Military.
Nowadays, Oba Olakulehin opens a brandnew vista within the conventional establishment of Ibadanland. The advance, despite the fact that predictable for every degree, used to be, then again, no longer clean. He emerged because the Olubadan-designate following the demise of Oba Lekan Balogun on March 14, 2024. His emergence got here with controversies over his condition, because of used time. As a statesman, he made deny commentary condemning someone or the federal government. He bore deny grudges. He used to be targeted, and motivated. He made outstanding appearances when vital to push back rumours. The ready classes are over. Right here comes Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakuleyin, the Ige Olakulehin 1. Lengthy Are living the King!