Gov Abiodun presents staff of office to young monarch of ancient town

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has presented a staff of office to the Olofin of Ado-Odo, Oba Olusola Idris Adebowale Lamidi-Osolo, barely a month after he ascended the throne of the ancient Awori kingdom.

The staff presentation ceremony which held in Ado-Odo on Saturday, March 30, 2024, marked the monarch’s formal assumption of office, and ascension to the throne.

The event cemented his authority as a recognised traditional ruler in Ogun State.

Speaking after receiving the staff, the monarch thanked Governor Abiodun, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat.

In his acceptance speech, the young monarch said the responsibility the stool placed on him as the traditional leader and culture custodian of the "unconquered Awori kingdom" is not lost on him.

The monarch also called on indigenes and residents of the town to join hands with him in piloting the affairs of the kingdom.

Speaking to Pulse ahead of the event, Oba Olusola appreciated the people of the town and communities around it for making him their culture and traditions custodian.

The 35-year-old king promised to preserve and promote the heritage of the people of the town.

He said, “Becoming an Oba of an ancient town is a huge responsibility and an honour for me. It means being a custodian of culture, tradition and history. It also means being the leader and the role model of the people as well as representing the town in a positive light. It’s a big responsibility with a lot of challenges. It’s also an opportunity to make an impact on the lives of the people and to preserve and promote the town’s culture and heritage, It’s an honour to be entrusted with such a role and I’m humbled by the opportunity given by my people.”

On his aspirations for the development of Ado-Odo, Oba Olusola said his reign would preserve the 16 indigenous deities of the ancient town and revive their shrines.

“The aspect of our heritage which I cherish the most and we are going to do everything humanly possible to preserve is our 16 indigenous deities. We call them Iba. These deities, you’ll be surprised that you can’t see them in any Awori town except in Ado-Odo. They’ve been in existence for decades, and we will try as much as possible to revive these shrines. These deities originated from Ile-Ife. These are what we want to preserve, we won’t allow them to go into extinction,” he said.

The monarch further promised to invest heavily in agriculture and promote mechanised farming in the town. This according to him is aimed at supporting the Federal Government’s initiative to encourage local production of food.

The monarch said, “Ado-Odo is known for agriculture. During the Western region government under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of our sons, the late Z.A. Opaleye was the minister for agriculture and natural resources. We were doing fine then.

“We are going to continue this but we will introduce mechanised farming to enable our farmers to move from traditional farming to an era of mass production. We are going to invest heavily in agriculture, our plan aligns with the Federal Government’s, as we can't continue to rely on imported foods. We are ready to grow what we eat locally.”

The young monarch also vowed to ensure the oral history of the town is preserved. He said he would try his best to make sure the songs and folklore of the Awori town do not go into extinction.