What People Need To Know About Our Father And His Role In Selecting The Next Ooni – Family of Late Obalufe Speaks

imageWe, the entire family of the late Obalufe of Ife, Oba Samuel Folorunso Omisakin, heartily appreciate the good people of Ile-Ife, who stood by our late father for the dream of a great Ife which he lived and died for.

We wish to tell the world the kind of humble life our father lived. Oba Omisakin was born into the Orunto Adogbodo family house of Iremo Quarters, Ile-Ife in March 1932 by the late Seleke Elufisan Omisakin and the late Omiwenu Elufisan Omisakin Seleke. His father was the first of the children of the great Agbetu Omisakin, a stupendously rich textile merchant of his time.

When Christianity was a norm in Ile Ife, late Seleke, who was a core traditional believer and healer had led his only son into an Anglican Church in Ile-Ife, where he was baptized and subsequently given the name Samuel as baptismal name.

Late Obalufe started his education at St. Peter’s Anglican Primary School, Iremo and the prestigious Oduduwa College, both in Ile-Ife.

Later, he attended Teachers Training College, Ondo town, in the old Western Region. His stint in teaching which started in Edunabon town, in the present Ife north ended in Ile Ife. Having done a part time course in secretariat study while teaching, he dropped teaching job and took a job as the secretary of the old Oranmiyan Local Government Town Planning Authority, where he finally retired to set up his own private business in Agro-allied also in Ile Ife. He was installed as obalufe on 1st june 1988.

That the late Obalufe was a self made man could not be overemphasized. He was a seer, a spiritual consultant like his great late father, Seleke, a traditional tutor, historian and a core lover of Ile ife.

However, with the demise of Ooni Okunade Sijuwade on July 28, the onus fell on our late father to announce the next Ooni. We must make it clear here that the traditional duty of Obalufe is not to choose the Ooni contrary to tradional ignorance that is being bandied around. His duty is to set the pace for the selection while the other 15 kingmakers make the choice. So our late father was playing this role. He had set the pace for this process until his demise. As a teacher, he had taught us a lot about moral issues in a structural society. As a secretary, he kept records of every details to his heart. He was not a man to be stampeded into any action, he was not a man that could change his moral stand because of money. As he always told us, “No amount of hunger for meat should make a man eat his own tongue. I will make the right choice for the people of Ile-Ife, even if I will have to put my life on the line”.
With the death of our father, we know that another Ife Icon has gone. We believe if he had lived more, his wealth of traditional knowledge would have nurtured the in-coming Ooni a great deal. Today he is no more! What happens to his philosophy?
We wish to categorically further state that, our late father was not killed by anybody. He was not rich. He never had any secrete deal with anybody. He was not an obstacle to anybody`s ambition apart from his moral stand on due process. He was a powerful man like his late grand father, Agbetu Omisakin. Nobody can kill him, nobody can poison him. God called him. Our father was a hero. He was the Ile Ife historical and traditional encyclopedia. Even though his death in less than 15 minutes after entering his bed room still leaves us wondering. Yet, we cant trace any foul play.

His burial arrangement will be announced by the family soon.

Signed
Prince Omidiran Omisakin
For the Family

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