By Charles Ayodele
Movement and business atmosphere were on Thursday, temporarily suspended as major roads in Ogbomoso town were occupied by sons, daughters and residents to welcome the new Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Laoye, who just completed the traditional rites to the palace.
The ecstatic residents who mounted the streets at different locations, eager to have a glimpse of their incoming traditional ruler, expressed their satisfaction, solidarity and support for the incoming Royal father, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Laoye.
Banners marked with pictures of the new Soun were displayed all around the routes from the traditional rite centre to the palace located at Oja’gbo area of the town.
The atmosphere was not only favourable, but pre-occupied with euphoria and conspicuous enthusiasms of residents.
The Soun, who departed IPEBI, the traditional rites venue to the waiting hands of large crowd of residents at exactly 9:00am, moved round the town in a long number of entourage.
Oba Laoye arrived Ogbomoso High School, at exactly 10:33am and moved round the town before he arrived at the palace at 12:40pm where the residents lined up on the streets to solidarise with him.
Speaking with newsmen, a friend to the new traditional ruler, Mr Olusegun Adekunle, charged residents on tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and good neighbourliness.
He said that he was delighted to join other sons and daughters in the festivity of the ascension of the new traditional ruler and urged everyone to join in the agenda for development, unity and peaceful co-existence set for the new Ogbomoso land.
He tasked the Royal father to see the celebration as a period to double his efforts on good deeds by extending the hands of fellowship to other contenders who he said deserve to celebrate as well.
An Octogenarian, Mama Abigail Fashola, prayed for peaceful reign of the royal father and urged him to take the development of the town as his priority.
She charged the Royal father to continue to abide by the significance of the various festivals of the town and take it as their way of life.
The octogenarian described his ascension as a period of joy and happiness for everyone in the town, and appealed to the Royal father to bring everyone together to live in peace.
The Bishop of Methodist Church, Ogbomoso Diocese, Rt Rev Ademola Moradeyo, noted that the state of things in the country required the citizens to continue to maintain peace and promote religious tolerance.
He congratulated the new Soun and other sons and daughters of the town across the globe for witnessing and celebrating another feat in Ogbomoso land, urging everyone to join hands with the new Royal father in bringing more development to the town.
“I congratulate all sons and daughters, as well as other residents in Ogbomoso, Nigeria and the entire world for the fresh air and thank God for the new lease of life in the town.
“I want to enjoin you all and our people, in general, to live in peace and celebrate the coming in of the new Soun moderately, and extend hands of fellowship to the aggrieved in the process of selecting a new Soun.
“Today is thanksgiving and prayer. I greet everyone and thank God we were able to witness today.
“I commend you for your support and we still need more, as It has been God all the way.
“Let us continue to allow peace at all times. May the Almighty continue to be with everyone of us. I congratulate you all,”the clergy said.
Her urged everyone to be of good deeds, love and good neighbourliness, calling on everyone to abstain from sins and always obey the commandments of God as part of worship, saying the time has come for humanity to move closer to God than before as the world is moving to an end.
Also, a student of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, (LAUTECH) Miss Omolara Fatilewa, called on everyone to maintain peace and live together as one family.
“Everyone must avoid anything that can threaten peace in the town and we must not emphasise religious differences, but rather promote religious tolerance.
“Let us love our neighbours and we must not forget the fact that this is a new Soun, hence need our support and collaboration to ensure that the tiwn develop to its vision.
The selection of Prince Afolabi Olaoye, a pastor and international businessman as Soun of Ogbomoso, was approved by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Saturday, Sept 2.
The stool became vacant after the demise of Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, in December 2021, at the age of 95 year after he reigned for 48 years.
Meanwhile, the new Soun, has entered the palace to begin his reign after performing the last series of rites as the 30th Soun of Ogbomoso land.
The monarch, visited some historical compounds, having completed the rites to mark the end of his seven-day seclusion.
Clad in a golden agbada with a white royal cap and a pair of black shoes, Oba Laoye held the white horse whip given to him at the Abata shrine, where all the past Soun of Ogbomoso were laid to rest.
On arrival at the back gate of the palace, the royal father alighted from his black classic Lexus LX 570 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) marked KRD 238EZ and performed a rite while surrounded by the Kingmakers and other subjects.
A traditionalist, who spoke with the pinpointnews under the condition of anonymity, said the rituals is to ensure peaceful and long reign.
The new Soun, however danced to several traditional local drummers for some minutes before proceeding with other rites inside the palace.
High Chief Sobalaje Otolorin, the Areago of Ogbomoso land led other kingmakers to perform the installation and proclaimed him as His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, the Orumogege III and the 30th Soun of Ogbomoso.
Delivering his sermon at the palace, Mr Gbile Akanni, Coordinator of Peace House, asked the traditional ruler to live above board by exhibiting exemplary conducts in administering the town.
The Clergy who took his sermon from Deut. 17 vs 14, said the people expect the traditional ruler, who is the custodians of traditions, culture and values to display high level of decorum and avoid any form convetious attitudes.
He pledged the loyalty of the entire sons and daughters, as well as other residents to the throne in maintaining peace in the town.
He urged everyone to see the issue of security as a responsibility of all and urged them to continue to coexist in peace.
Addressing the crowd, the new Soun of Ogbomoso land, thanked everyone for their love and support and assured them that a new light is set to shine in the town.
He pleaded with all sons and daughters, both at home and in diaspora to return home and contribute their quota to the development of the town.
He assured the crowd that it is a new dawn in the town and that factories shall flood the town to ensure that sons and daughters of the town no longer beg for job as there would be enough to accommodate them.
“It is a God that sent me and asked me to make sure I give you a new Ogbomoso land to make the town a new brand in the comity of its peers.
“The much awaiting development has started immediately, factories are coming, not just one, but in several folds, it is not that you will be crying for employment henceforth, because it is already here with us in Ogbomoso.
“I don’t talk much, but I assure you that you will henceforth be seen actions that will give everyone a fresh hope and that will make everybody proud to come from this town, called Ogbomoso.
“I want to thank everybody for the acceptability and your show of love since I was announced till this moment and I pray that we shall all be a living witness for our new Ogbomoso land.”the Royal father prayed.
The high point of the brief ceremony at the palace was prayers by representatives of the major religions in the town to the acceptance of the cheering crowd.
Laoye was selected by the kingmakers as the new Soun of Ogbomoso, in the early hours of Friday, last week.
On Saturday, last week, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde approved his selection to become one of the first-class traditional rulers in the state.
The stool has been vacant since Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagungbade III, joined his ancestors on December 12, 2021.
The ceremony was attended by the Oluwo of Iwo Land, Oba Adewale Rashid Akanbi of Iwo Land.