Late Soun delivered 4 decades, 8 years of exceptional transformational leadership – Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has hailed the late Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, former Soun of Ogbomoso, for living a remarkable life.

Osinbajo showered encomiums on the monarch at a thanksgiving service which held at First Baptist Church in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Sunday.

“It is a very special privilege for me to join the family of our dear departed monarch, the illustrious citizens of this great town, and the Government and people of Oyo State, to thank God Almighty for the blessed memory of the legendary king.”

“Today, we celebrate the life and times of a much loved and respected monarch, an astute statesman, and a great leader among Yoruba Obas, Alayeluwa Oba (Dr.) Oladunni Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III, who departed this world on Monday, December 13, 2021, at the ripe old age of 95 years.

“I know that no matter how long our loved ones live, we all still want them around for longer especially when they have been so consequential and have made such a significant impact in our lives! But these things are for God to order, with the assurance that God loves him even more, the best we can do now is pray that his transition shall herald a time of more abundant grace and goodness in Ogbomosho, and in Nigeria as a whole. I, therefore, join the whole town in saying, “eyin baba a dara o!”

“On behalf of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, and the entire Government and people of Nigeria, I express my deepest condolences to His Excellency, the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, the Gbagun Ruling House of Ogbomoso, the wives and children of Soun Ajagungbade III, the entire Royal Family, as well as all the people of Ogbomoso.

“The late Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, had an exceptionally long, peaceful, and progressive reign, for which we must just continue to give thanks to God Almighty. Having ascended the throne on the 24th of October, 1973, he has delivered four decades and eight years of exceptional and transformational leadership, leaving behind the indelible marks of peace and prosperity.

“Without a doubt, the Oba’s passing has created a big vacuum among the league of traditional rulers in Nigeria. And this is not just because of his age and almost half a century on the throne. It is because he was not just there, he made remarkable contributions to Ogbomosho and to Nigeria, for which the Nation honoured him twice, first as Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and then as Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

His time certainly brought commendable development to this great and ancient town of Yorubaland, so we can say confidently that the Scriptures are fulfilled today – “Didun ni iranti olododo.”

“It is worthy of note that upon his ascension to the throne of his forefathers, His Royal Majesty, Soun Ajagungbade III became the first Soun of Ogbomoso land to wear the beaded crown. This introduced a new historical perspective into the Obaship system, which he went on to amply justify. But the event also went far beyond mere symbolism, by his illustrious and noble reign, Ajagungbade III has established and affirmed the place of Ogbomoso among the great cities of Nigeria, and proved over and again that the honour was so well deserved.”