‘Why we celebrate Oba Salami Adewunmi Ajibola’ 

Precious Ugwueke

 The Ajibola family of Owu, Abeokuta, Ogun State, at home and in the Diaspora, is set to once again converge on the family compound of the late Oba Salami Adewunmi Ajibola to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of his demise. 

 Oba Ajibola, according to the history of Owu Kingdom, was the Owu monarch with the longest stay on the throne. 

The revered Oba Ajibola, regarded by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as an iconic hero, will be celebrated with fanfare and pageantry this year.  

The event has always been memorable such that many in the royal family and other people from all walks of life look forward to it. 

Moreover, during one of the annual memorials, in 1982, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, himself a serving Owu chief, described the late Oba Ajibola as a reformer, saying, “Oba Ajibola indeed exuded genuine public spiritedness, compassion, spirituality and humanity till he breathed his last. 

“Above all, he was a good family man and a worthy father to his children. He was very purposeful, having been keenly associated with many worthy causes that immensely benefited a great number of people. 

 “Permit me to urge you and the entire Ajibola family to have fond memories of your dear late patriarch, his indomitability, his stand on what he considered right, good and honourable in the affairs of the entire Owu Kingdom.” 

 The family said he was being celebrated because of his unbeatable track record as the longest-serving Oba in the history of Owu kingship, his intellectual contributions, innovative skills in leadership and developmental strides in the community. 

 Information from his children stated that the annual gathering and other events will be held for two days: from Friday, November 15, to Saturday, November 16 , 2024. 

According to the family, on Friday, there will be remembrance prayers, from 9am to 11am, at the family hall, Ile Alebiosu, Abeokuta, while the annual family remembrance/ convention will be on Saturday at the open grounds, in front of Ile Alebiosu, off Celestial Church, Owu, Totoro, Abeokuta.

 Secretary of the late Oba Salami Adewunmi Ajibola Descendants’ Family Organisation, who doubles as the assistant general secretary, Ayoloye Ruling House, Owu, Dr. Olatunji Ajibola, a lecturer of law, stated that the late Oba brought unprecedented development, “not only for the family, but for the Owu nation and entire country.” 

“My grandfather served the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) during the British colonial period for 32 years. He retired in 1947 as a police inspector and, in 1949, became the ninth Olowu of Owu, Abeokuta, Ogun State. He was well recognised as a reformer and dedicated officer in the largest police force in Africa. 

Working with the British colonial masters exposed him to see everyone as equal, which helped him during his reign as the Oba of Owu kingdom.” Dr. Ajibola continued, “It is yet another annual family convention. The convention affords us the opportunity to gather together as a large family in one accord. It affords the privilege to fraternise, deepen our interpersonal relationships, wine and dine together as one big family and to celebrate the longest-reigning Oba who brought innovation and unity among people of different religious backgrounds and affiliations. 

“We run a family organisation and, just like every organisation, there is a need for annual gatherings. The late Oba Salami Adewunmi Ajibola was an iconic hero not only for our family but for the Owu nation and the entire country. “He acquired formal education in those days through extramoral classes when he joined the police force. He set the pace for us in education and personal development. 

“During his reign as the ninth Olowu of Owu, he was instrumental to the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law of 1957, made under Section 4(2) of the customary law regulating the selection of the Olowu of Owu Chieftaincy. He was also involved in the inauguration of the first indigenous private hospital in our community, a private hospital established by foremost industrialist, lawyer and politician, Chief Akin Olugbade, in 1971. “Our grandfather was a bridge builder. He accommodated everyone. There was no distinction between his family and any other acquaintance. He loved everyone. 

Though a Muslim to the core, he was able to accommodate people from different religious faiths and affiliations. No wonder, in our large family, we have Christians and Muslims who usually join one another during any religious celebration. Though he was a practising Muslim till he breathed his last, he sustained a very cordial relationship with people of different faiths. 

 “As king, he was the father to all. In our large family, we have family members of different faith persuasions, hence, we accommodate different prayers in our family programmes. To us, humanity is first, as enshrined in our family culture. 

 “He was a liberal but very strict disciplinarian who, even in death, is still honoured as a great model and legend. Such a man deserves to be immortalised 52 years after his departure. As far as our people are concerned, our grandfather lives on.

 “The late Oba Salami Adewunmi Ajibola was the longest-reigning Olowu of Owu. No one has been able to match this record. “Interestingly, my grandfather had 25 children, but only two of them are alive today. The rest of us are the second generation, grandchildren running now into the fifth generation as of 2022. 

“This yearly anniversary always brings us together for unification. We always look forward to it. Our departed parents, the direct children of Oba Ajibola, started this annual event in 1972 when our grandfather joined his ancestors. 

This yearly event is a generational event. Communal life is integrated into our family upbringing. We are intentional in cultivating kindness and good deeds within our domain. More to that, we have a local security network within our community. Our community people always look forward to this yearly event because of certain economic activities it creates. Of course, sometimes our diaspora family members who cannot attend physically also create time to join us online. 

“Lastly, our grandparents taught us that there is no place like home, notwithstanding the bad roads, broken infrastructure and insecurity in Nigeria. We can’t afford to abandon our ancestral homes. We must always find a way around all these problems. We are inviting all people to the grand finale of the event on November 15 and 16 to celebrate the man who brought the unity and peace we are enjoying in our place. He was born in 1894 and he joined his ancestors in 1972. He reigned as Olowu of Owu between 1949 and 1972.”