By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The late Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has been described as an enigma that has been lost by his demise in the early hours of Sunday 2 January, 2022.
Making this eulogizing description was the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, in his condolence message issued and signed by Alhaji Sa’idu Muhammad Maccido, Danburam Sokoto and Secretary to the Sultanate Council, Sokoto, dated Monday 3 January, 2022 and distributed to the media including The DEFENDER.
“The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, has extended his condolences to the government, the Olubadan-in-Council, the family and people of Oyo State, over the departure of Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba Saliu Adetunji.
“The Sultan, who described Oba Adetunji as an enigma, notes that the traditional institution in Nigeria will miss the visionary disposition of the nonagenarian monarch, who died in the early hours Sunday 2 January, 2022 at the age of 93.
“He said Oba Adetunji’s quality life was well spent on advancing the progress of his people, who he also motivated to be themselves and be part of the better Nigeria project for the good of all,” Maccido said.
The Sultan, who is Chairman National Traditional Rulers Council co-chaired by the Ooni of Ife and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) recalled his last engagement with the Ibadan monarch even as he submitted that once his death, shocking though, came as an inevitable by Allah, over which nobody has a choice.
According to the Amirul Mu’mineen of Nigeria, “Recently I was with the monarch at his palace in Ibadan. Today he is gone because we have no way of avoiding it as we come from Allah and unto him we will all return. We can only take our solace in the fact that he lived life for others to live and benefited many,” he said.
The Sultan prayed for repose of the king in Al-Jannah Firdaus, while asking for the family and others he left behind to be granted the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, Alhaji Sa’idu Maccido said in the statement.
