pannigeriannews 
The Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, on Friday installed prominent sons of Ogbomoso into various traditional chieftaincy titles, charging them to justify the honour through selfless service, passion for the land and concrete contributions to its development.
Those installed include former Director-General of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Prof. Sola Adepoju, who emerged as the Asiwaju of Ogbomosoland; a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chief of Staff to late Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Dr Saka Balogun, who was installed as the Balogun of Ogbomosoland; Sir Olusegun Adekunle, a retired Permanent Secretary at the General Services Office (GSO), Office of the Secretary to the Federation and legal luminary, as the Ashipa of Ogbomosoland; and Rear Admiral Jacob Adekunle Ajani (Rtd) as the Aare Mayegun of Ogbomosoland.
Also installed was Chief Amos Aremu Olukayode, who received the title of Oba Segun of Ogbomosoland.
Speaking during the ceremony, Oba Olaoye, while installing Dr. Balogun after the completion of the traditional rites, cautioned him not to betray the confidence reposed in him by the palace and the people.
The monarch explained that some of the titles conferred were honourary, noting that the last holder of the Ashipa title passed away about 10 years ago, making the installation of a new Ashipa significant to the traditional hierarchy of Ogbomosoland.
Justifying the choice of Prof. Adepoju as Asiwaju, Oba Olaoye recalled the professor’s unwavering support during his journey to the throne.
“When I was aspiring to become the Soun of Ogbomoso, Prof. Adepoju was one of the first people, after God, who called me and assured me that I would ascend the throne. He encouraged me not to give up and continued to give me moral and unprecedented support. His words eventually came to pass,” the monarch said.
He described Prof. Adepoju as deeply passionate about the progress of Ogbomoso, expressing confidence that he would continue to support the palace and the people.
The Soun also highlighted the spiritual importance of the Abata shrine rites performed by Dr Balogun, explaining that the seven rounds symbolised a covenant between the chief, the throne and the palace.
“The rite is significant. It is a covenant, and once you enter into it, you must abide by the rules and traditions of the palace,” he stressed.
Oba Olaoye charged the newly installed chiefs to see their titles as a call to service, tasking them to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of Ogbomosoland.
“I do not just give titles. Anyone who desires to be a chief must show concrete evidence of contribution to Ogbomosoland. The number one criterion is passion for Ogbomoso and people who have attained merit in their professional lives,” the monarch said.
According to him, chieftaincy requires sacrifice and a willingness to go beyond one’s comfort zone to make Ogbomosoland a model community.
“I need people who think the way I think and who share my vision for Ogbomosoland. We are not selling chieftaincy titles,” he declared.
Emphasising his broader responsibility, the Soun added, “I am not the Soun of Ogbomoso North; I am the Soun of Ogbomosoland. That is why I am deeply concerned about the overall development of Ogbomosoland.”
About The Author
