Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade Dies At 85

Ooni-of-Ife

The late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade


Kazeem Ugbodaga

Ooni of Ife: passes on
Ooni of Ife: passes on
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade has passed on.

He died on Tuesday evening at the age of 85.

The monarch, who was installed almost 35 years ago, died in St. Mary Hospital in London, where he was flown about five days ago.

Sources in Osun State said the Oba was flown abroad in an unconscious state last week as his condition was said to be critical.

He died around 5pm on Tuesday evening, PM News gathered.

The Osun State Government is yet to issue a statement as at the time of filing this report.

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Sijuwade was born on 1 January, 1930 to a great royal family in the Ogboru house, Ilare, Ile-Ife.

The last Ooni of Ife that the Ogboru ruling house presented (before the incumbent) reigned in Ife for many years as Sijuwade Adelekan Olubuse I.

Early in life, Sijuwade was conscious of his royal birth, and his carriage, even in school, was of one who was destined to wear the crown.

Once, at Abeokuta Grammar school, the Reverend Ransome Kuti wanted to flog the young Sijuwade for some misdemeanour. As the principal raised his whip, the young prince dared the famous disciplinarian to hit a ‘king’.

This did not of course stop Reverend Kuti from meting out what he considered appropriate punishment to the erring young man who was nonetheless satisfied that he has made his point.

He left Abeokuta Grammar school after five years and got transferred to Oduduwa college in Ile-Ife to complete his studies under the Reverend S. A. Adeyefa.

On his first day at school, mistaken for one of the new teachers and in no hurry to correct the impression, young Sijuwade took over the class in which he was supposed to be a student. In spite of his royal posturing and youthful pranks, Prince Sijuwade is remembered by many of his classmates as a particularly diligent student and quite mature for his age .

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