Hon. Justice Adedotun Grace Onibokun, Osun State Judiciary

GOODWILL MESSAGE TO ASIWAJU

“RIAAA” OLAYINKA FASUYI @ 70

M’emö South oooo, M’emo Northiii M’emö South oooo M’emò Northiiii Okań tiii mo mô, Ijesha mô mö,

Ijesha mö pė mejiii oooo.

This was a song I heard on Osun State Broadcasting Corporation in Year 2002 or thereabouts.

I loved the rhythm, and above all the content. I knew it by heart almost immediately.

Baba Kabiyesi, my dear father, His Imperial Majesty , Oba Dr Adekunle Aromolaran had two days earlier discussed with me an item of worry. I was unhappy, and I confronted the source of the item. The person explained to me what had led to the item of worry. Though I disagreed with the individual, I was helpless. And I advised Baba Kabiyesi to let us await whatever the future held. That was about fifteen or one or two more years ago.

Today I am happy not only because the Owa Obokun throne has been redefined and more dignified, but because the redefinition, the dignity and the glory of the throne happened when Baba Aromolaran was with us.

This position justifies and describes the essence of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, the quintessential Asiwaju of Ijeshaland. The renaissance of further fostering the unity of the Ijesha people(s), from the North and South of Ijeshaland is traceable to him. The renaissance of cementing the paramountcy of the stool of Owa Obokun is traceable to him. My use of the word ‘further’ in the first instance stemmed from the fact that a few Obas had sustained the urge of their ancestors

to behold the paramountcy of the Owa Obokun throne. So Asiwaju Riaaaaa stepped up the zeal no doubt.

Construction of the Palace of Owa Obokun, the Geriatric Hospital and other efforts of pan-Ijeshas further furthered the unity and hardly would one notice the Ijesha North-Ijesha South dichotomy.

Therefore, that rhythm echoes everytime the subjects of unification and paramountcy are mentioned or come to mind.

The paradigm shift when Asiwaju Fasuyi emerged as the Asiwaju of Ijeshaland has been worthy of a telltale.

I met Asiwaju when he was on the entourage of Baba Aromolaran to the Wedding of my Son in Year 2015. He was not in his usual toga of Agbada then. Now as the Agbada gets bigger his roles in Ijeshaland get bigger and he fills in between the roles with more, more and more responsibilities to Ijeshaland, our hopes aspirations and goals..

I wish Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi many more years of fitting into the roles of Asiwaju in robust health, more goodwill, indiminishable dignity, greater wisdom, greater grace, greater wins and all that he wishes himself.

Hon. Justice Adedotun Grace Onibokun, PhD

• Osun State Judiciary

• Fellow, Institute of Chartered Arbitrators,

• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Mediation & Conciliation,

• Certified Forensic Document Examiner

• Chancellor, Ilesha South West Diocese (Anglican Communion)

• Princess of the Biladu Ogunmokun Ruling House.