*To be buried at 4pm today – Palace
THE Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, joined is ancestors today at age 93.
His first son, Prince Mukaila Adetunji, said Oba Adetunji died in the early hours of today at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.
The monarch did not experience any major sickness, he only complained about malaria, said Prince Adetunji in an interview with oriyomihamzat.com.
“My father passed on with ease. He did not inconvenience us in any way. He had a little fever, and that was it.”
The palace this afternoon announced that the remains of the monarch, a muslim, would be interred from 4pm today.
The Fidau (final prayer) will hold at the Mapo Hall, Ibadan, according to a statement by Yanju Adegboyega, Assistant Director of Media and Protocols to the late King. Other things will follow later, said the statement.
Preparatory to the burial, the remains of the monarch arrived at the Olubadan palace at Popoyemoja this afternoon and attracted a huge gathering of Ibadan residents, including some of their eminent indigenes who have since been pouring into the palace.
When his remains wrapped in light blue cloth arrived in an ambulance at the palace this afternoon, the gathered residents and indegenes exploded in wailing and lamentations.
The late Oba Adetunji was crowned the 41st Olubadan on March 4, 2017, after the demise of Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade.
Prior to his coronation as the Olubadan of Ibadan, Adetunji was the Balogun of Ibadan land.
The Olubadan died 22 days after the death of Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, another prominent Oyo State monarch.
Describing Oba Adetunji as a great father and a good husband to his wives, Prince Adetunji said: ‘My father united the whole family. We will miss him. But we thank God that all of us are in a good position to carry on life without hitches.”
BORN on August 26, 1928 to the family of Raji Olayiwola and Suwebat Amope Adetunji in the Alusekere compound, Popoyemoja, Ibadan, he was the first of 17 children of his parents.
Adetunji, who grew up learning vocational jobs, worked a a fashion designer when he moved to Lagos; and later delved into musical record marketing. In 1960, he founded Baba Laje Records, the first of his three record labels, through which he helped birth and promote the career of such popular traditional musicians as Dauda Epo-Akara and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, aka Kwam1.
BY Ibadan land system of succession, the next Olubadan is already known. He is the current Otun Olubadan, Chief (Senator) Lekan Balogun. But he has to await the confirmation of the Olubadan-in-Council.
A renowned technocrat, politician, scholar, activist, author, philanthropist of note, Chief Balogun, the 80-year old Chief Balogun, was elected a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999. He was chairman Senate Committee on National Planning and was a member to many Senate Committees such as Appropriations, Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs and Defence (Army).
A presidential aspirant on the platform of SDP, he was also a gubernatorial candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Oyo State during the last election.
Also a widely published author, his publications include: A Review of Nigeria’s 4 years’ Development Plan, 1970-1974; Nigeria: Social Justice or Doom; Power for Sale; Arrogance of Power; Nigeria: The people must decide.
