By Adeyinka Adeniran
Scores of sympathizers have continued to throng the Alarere residence of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, who bided the world farewell last Thursday evening at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. He was aged 81.
One of the visitors, the Aare Akinrogun of Ibadanland, who was a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the former Ambassador to Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai described the death of Oba Balogun as very painful and the sudden exit as a great loss, stressing that with his death, “we have lost a friendly, jovial, compassionate and loving monarch”.
Gen. Buratai, was given the Ibadan honorary Chieftaincy title by Oba Saliu Adetunji who reigned before Oba Balogun.
Speaking during the condolence visit, the former COAS said the exit of Oba Balogun was a loss of great monarch, saying “his passage was though very painful, but we are grateful to the Almighty Allah because he made his mark and left great legacy.”
Responding on behalf of the family, Dr. Kola Balogun, a member of the Senate at the Ninth Assembly said he was not surprised by the visit by the retired General in view of the cordial relationship between the visitor and the family, which, though started with the coronation about two years ago but had blossomed like decades of interactions.
He recalled that the Ibadan honorary Chieftaincy title holder came to the coronation and array of Generals and stayed for two extra days to ensure personal visitation to the late monarch.
He said, “We are feeling great sense of loss because we never thought it was going to be so short. We however take solace in the popular aphorism that it is not how long, but, how well.
“We are grateful to the Almighty Allah for for the quality service our departed hero gave Ibadanland during his two-year reign. The general comments trailing his passage since Thursday last week have been so consoling and soothing balm on the pains caused by his death.
“He scored many firsts and his efforts at ensuring that peace reigned during his time and the taming of the monsters engaging in land grabbing would go down in history as part of his enduring legacies”, Sen. Balogun added.
Oniroko of Iroko, Oba Ismaila Abioye Opeyemi led the Association of the Royal Highnesses of Ibadanland to condole the family of the late monarch.
On ground to receive the sympathizers were the three surviving wives of the late Olubadan namely: Oloris Olayinka, Olufunmilayo and Khalimat Balogun.
In his short remark on behalf of his colleague Obas, Oniroko described the late Oba Balogun as a man with no restriction to his accessibility, noting that his death caught everybody unaware as his news of illness was not heard and it made it more painful.
He said, “We took consolation in the fact that our departed father made history and his impact on all of us would remain indelible in our lives because the crowns we all parade now were his legacies which nobody could alter in history.
“We shall forever remain grateful to him just as we implore all the people left behind not to mourn but to rejoice in the impactful and fulfilled life lived by the departed great monarch”.
In a similar vein, the Non-Indigenes Traditional Council in Ibadan and Oyo State through Onu of Igala of Ibadanland, Ajofe Okoliko gave commendation to the late Oba Balogun, who was described as a peculiar and unique Olubadan going by his non-preferential disposition to both indigenes and non-indigenes alike, saying, “we have never seen any Olubadan like him in terms of non-discriminatory and detribalization disposition.
“As we have come here to sympathize with you the survivors of the deceased, we are also here to sympathize with ourselves because we have lost a true and compassionate father in him.
“He was our backbone when forming the association and since its formation, he had never abandoned us. He was very accessible and highly accommodating”, Okoliko said.
Olori Olayinka Balogun, who responded on behalf of her colleagues acknowledged the remarks by Oniroko which she said were very apt and indication of deep knowledge of their late husband. She expressed gladness that their late husband left behind name and legacies to be proud of which she said were enough consolation.
While reacting to the condolence message delivered by the Onu of Igala of Ibadanland, Olori Balogun commended the association for its friendly disposition and the glorious comments on their late husband.
According to her, “It is a thing of joy to acknowledge your identification of our late husband as WAZOBIA which truly he was. He was such a detribalized person that everybody that came across him was either his brother or sister, son or daughter. We are very happy to have been blessed with such a man and would always cherish the good and enduring legacies he left behind”.
