Oloola’s Coronation: Full Address by Ọba Oyede-Lawal
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, OBA (ALH) MUTIU ALANI ADEDIMEJI OYEDE-LAWAL ANIM, FICAD (SIJUADE ADUKUNNU I) OLOOLA OF ILARA YEWA, AT HIS CORONATION CEREMONY HELD ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2024.
PROTOCOLS
With immense gratitude to Almighty Allah, the most merciful and the most benevolent, I am delighted to stand before you with humility as I wholeheartedly thank God Almighty who made it possible for me to obtain the staff of office and to be enthroned on the stool of my fore-fathers’ as the 6th Oloola of Ilara ( the Sijuade Adukunnu I) of our beloved kingdom, Ilara Yewa on 20th July 2024. Made possible by the expedition of the Ogun State Government.
I am deeply thankful to the Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency Prince (Dr) Dapo Abiodun MFR and the members of the State Executive Council, for their support and recognition of our kingdom’s rich heritage. I am deeply grateful for your prompt approval of my appointment as the Oloola of Ilara Yewa on July 16th, 2024, and the subsequent presentation of the Staff of Office on July 20th, 2024. Your recognition and support meant the world to me and to my people, and we are indebted to your leadership and wisdom.
Your commitment to the development of our dear state and your dedication to the welfare of our people are truly commendable. I also extend my sincere appreciation to the Honorable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs and the entire team in the Ministry for their tireless efforts in ensuring that all due process were followed to ensure the new Oloola of Ilara Ogudo Kingdom emerged. My gratitude to the immediate past Chairman of Imeko/Afon Local Government Hon. Alh. Chief Yaya Akande Fadipe for his doggedness towards the successful and approval of my appointment as Oloola of Ilara.
To the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle MFR, I express my heartfelt gratitude for your sincere guidance and unwavering support. Your leadership and vision have been a beacon of hope and inspiration to our people. To Alaketu of Ketu, Oba Akanni Adedunloye Aderomola, I would like to express my profound appreciation for the wise words of counsel and advice you have gracefully shared during my journey to the throne. Your guidance and leadership have been invaluable, and I am grateful for your support and encouragement. To all royal fathers here present I am honored to share this significant milestone with you, and I am delighted for joining me to celebrate this grand occasion. Your presence here is a testament to the bond of unity and solidarity between our royal thrones.
Today, we gather not only to celebrate our rich history and culture alone but also to embark on a new chapter in our journey towards greatness. My dear people of Ilara Ogudo, I call upon each and every one of you to join me in building a kingdom that is truly of our desire. A kingdom where peace, prosperity, and progress reign supreme. A kingdom where our children can thrive, where our businesses can flourish, and our traditions can be preserved for generations to come.
I want to enjoin all the good people of Ilara and the friends of our kingdom to let us work together to create Ilara land where: our farmers can cultivate their fields with dignity and pride; our children can access quality education and meaningful opportunities; our businesses can grow and prosper with adequate support and infrastructure; our culture and traditions can be preserved and celebrated with joy and pride, Our security is guaranteed with support of the government as a border town.
It is my sincere pledge to promote unity by fostering open door policy, to be a good listener, to be tolerant; to promote inclusivity, creating opportunities for economic growth, education and cultural heritage.
By the grace of God, and the wisdom of our forefathers, I will equally serve with integrity, compassion, and wisdom, always putting the needs of my people first. I will listen to your yearnings, I will engage with your ideas, I will work tirelessly to address your needs.
Let us unite in our pursuit of excellence and make Ilara Kingdom a shining example for all and sundry so that we can achieve greatness through collective effort and determination.
I am sincerely grateful to the good people of Ilara, the Kingmakers, the Regency Council, all Chiefs, Faningbe Family, Igbaka family, my other 14 family lineages (Eledu, Alayo, Egbelika, Idosan and so on), Oyede-Lawal family descendants, Olori Omotunde, Olori Iyabode, my beautiful children, all my friends, my in-laws and well-wishers here present.
May Ilara Ogudo kingdom prosper under our collective leadership, may our reign be long and peaceful, and may our people rejoice in our prosperity forever.
I thank everybody here present and those who are unavoidably absent, but have contributed to the success of this programme in one way or the other, I pray for a smooth journey for everyone who will be travelling back to their various destinations.
God bless Ilara Ogudo!
God bless Imeko/Afon!
God bless the entire people of Yewa/Awori
God bless the entire people Ogun State!
God bless our dear country, Nigeria!
Thank you all for listening
