At 83, His Royal Majesty, Alayieluwa Oba (Dr) Salaudeen Afolabi Adekoya Oyefusi Oguntade II, a monarch whom history would recognise as the 18th traditional ruler of Ikorodu, joined his ancestors on Saturday, 2nd of August 2014, drawing the curtain on an eventful and colourful 44 years reign on the Royal throne of Ikorodu.
Born on the 8th of July 1931, Oyefusi took his final bow from the stage of life, having played his part in an epic drama of life that spanned four decades and three years – a ripe age by any stretch of human imagination.
In 1970, when the young Prince from Rademo Ruling House became the King; Oyefusi, the grandson of the Oba Oguntade I, rekindled history by picking the title Oguntade II, in deference to his ancestry and royal lineage in Rademo Ruling House. With his coronation as King at a young age, Oba Oyefusi succinctly entered the records book as the youngest monarch to mount the royal stool of Ikorodu. His elaborate coronation ceremony was quite a sight to behold- a spectacular pageantry that has gone down in recorded history as one of the biggest crowd- pulling events in the annals of Ikorodu. With benefit of hindsight, it is safe to claim that Oyefusi came on the throne to inject fresh blood and verve into the institution of monarchy that has produced seventeen (17) traditional rulers before him.
The life and time of Oba Oyefusi was clearly a rendezvous with history; a journey through time and space. Interestingly, when he took over the baton of rulership on the 16th of September 1970, from his predecessor, the late Oba Samuel O. Ladega, very few of his subjects were left in doubt that a new era had dawned on Ikorodu. The new monarch came across to a broad spectrum of people at home and abroad as the man whom the crown fittingly fitted and unarguably, a veritable link between the noble past and cherished tradition and a sign post to a promising future of Ikorodu.
Enlightened, broad-minded, educated and an astute businessman who, in his thirties, before coming on the throne, had established himself as a successful businessman, Oba Oyefusi was clearly the quintessential monarch. His chemistry was, in many respects, a refined royal pedigree and an amiable personage that produced a unique brand which cast him in the mould of one of the leading lights of his generation.
Oba Oyefusi was a royal ambassador in every sense of the world and significantly symbolised the zeal and drive of the typical Ikorodu man whose tenacity of purpose and professional competence have helped in hosting the flag of Ikorodu on the world map to the admiration of all.
It is in the glow of 44 years peacefulness and progressive reign that the demise of the 18th monarch of Ikorodu filtered in. The odyssey, without doubt, has brought unprecedented changes into Ikorodu. And it is all too obvious that the attendant prosperity has rubbed off handsomely on practically all aspects of life in the town- an increased virile population, an enviable industrial growth, increased volume of trade and peaceful co-existence of all tribes that inhabit Ikorodu.
Indeed, of the late Oba can be said, as could be said of only a handful of other contemporary traditional rulers, that he was committed to his people, he was a dogged fighter, quite uncompromising in matters that hinged on denying his subjects or Ikorodu her fair share.
In his four decades and three years reign, Oba Oyefusi steadfastly held on to the torch with which he showed the way for his people.
And of course, his invaluable contribution to the society did not go unnoticed. They were well documented and commensurately acknowledged at the highest level by the Federal Government of Nigeria, with the award of Commander of the Order of Niger (CON). Others honours and awards had trailed his royal footsteps. There goes a distinguished monarch- A man of honour, class and quite gutsy.
Forever Remembered!
from the archive of the Rademo Royal Family of Ikorodu
