Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has paid glowing tributes to the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, noting that his reign, though short, was impactful.
Obasanjo described the late Balogun as a personal friend and that the visit he paid was his duty.
Oba Balogun, who received the staff of office as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland on March 11, 2022 died on March 14, this year, just about 72 hours after the celebration of his second anniversary and was buried at his Aliiwo ancestral home the next day.
Obasanjo said, “The late Olubadan was not a foreigner to me, he was my friend and it is my duty to pay this visit to his family.
“He carried the position very well, he was ‘Gbobaniyi’. Naturally, we would have loved him to be around us for a much longer time, but God knows best.
“As it is said in Yoruba that ‘o wuni ka jeran pe lenu, oofa ona ofun o je’ that’s as much as we want to hold the meat in our mouth, the drawer from our esophagus won’t allow us.
“As I said, God knows best. Assuming that death did not come when it came but a worse thing happened, what could have been our reaction?
In his condolence message, Obasanjo wrote, “Kabiyesi Balogun, sleep in your creator’s bosom”.
Responding on behalf of the family consisting two of the Oloris, Olayinka and Olufunmilayo and few of the children, Bobajiro of Ibadanland and former Oyo State Head of Service, Alhaji Tajudeen Aremu said what the former President did by the visit was a demonstration of genuine love.
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