His Royal Highness, Oba Dr Ademola Makinde, Onigemo 1, on Friday celebrated his coronation as the new Owa of Igbajo, Iloro land.
The coronation ceremony held at Community High School Ijemu, Igbajo, Osun state.
Sahel Standard earlier reported that, the Governor of Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke had presented Staff of office and instruments of appointment to the new traditional ruler of Igbajo in March 2024
While speaking on what Igbajo should expect from his reign , Oba Ademola strongly stated that he will use all his efforts transform Igbajo into a new place.
He said “By God’s grace, God will use me to do good things for the town, this is where I came from there’s no place like home so I will put all my efforts to transform the village. So, Watch, Watch, Watch!”, he said.
The Monarch also expressed how surprised he is with the new position, according to him, he is overwhelmed by the crowd and support he got.
“I feel surprised about this new Position, it’s beyond my expectations because initially I was thinking where will I get the crowd but when I got here, it overwhelmed me”, he added.
During the church thanksgiving service at First Baptist Church Igbajo, President of Nigeria Baptist Convention, Osun state chapter, Rev. Dr Olubunmi Obalade noted that the church has performed their denominational role on the Monarch and great testimonies have been heard of him in the Nigerian Baptist Convention.
“I’m here to rejoice with him and also to perform our demominational role in identifying with one of us, a member of our denomination, Oba Makinde who’s celebrating his coronation today.
He said “By the testimony we heard of him, he has been a committed and industrious individual, he has served in various places and he had risen through hard-work to where he is today and he himself attributed his rising to the throne to the mercy of God and also the contribution of some other people into his life and I think he’s somebody who acknowledges that it’s the mercy of God and also the contribution of other people.”
In an interview with Sahel etv, The Chairman of the planning committee, Prince Aderemi Adeniran Adelowo, described Oba Makinde as a very brilliant and calculative individual which led him to become an accountant.
“Oba Ademola Makinde, we happen to be classmates in secondary school, at Igbajo here. In our youth days, when we were in school, he’s very brilliant, calculative, he’s a good listener, there’s no wonder he become an accountant and I think he’s retiring this year as 60 by God’s grace.
“He works with NNPC, and this is a gift for his retirement being enthroned as Owa of Igbajo, he’s a good friend, he’s a good father, he’s a good husband and he’s a philanthropist.
“I can say he has done alot for Igbajo community, his amma mata he pays salary of teachers up to five years now and he has erected nine boreholes in Igbajo even though he’s not a politician, he has done alot. I know of many Igbajo youth that he has given employment in many parastatals , that’s Ademola for you”, he noted.
While speaking with newsmen, Director of Treasury Unit in Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr Francis Olugboyega Marino described Oba Makinde as a man of the people from day one, who’s always there for people. According to him, the people of Igbajo will not regret having him as their King.
“Oba Ademola Makinde is my bosom friend because we joined the system over 31 years ago as intake to the Department of Petroleum Resources ( DPR) but now NUPRC. I’ve known him over 31 years, we’ve been together.
“Makinde has always been a man of the people from day one, he’s always there for people, he was in union, he was in the cooperative, so I’m not surprised that he become an Oba because this is something he has planned for, his ambition because he came from a royal family in Igbajo here. So I’m very happy and delighted that he’s dream to become an Oba in Igbajo here became a success to the glory of God.
“So Makinde deserves it, he worked hard for it, he’s the man of the people and I’m sure his community will never regret to have an Oba like him”, he said.
