As His Imperial Majesty, Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, marks his 78th birthday, tributes and reflections continue to highlight the significance of his reign and the expectations surrounding the ancient throne of Ijesaland.
In this special birthday tribute, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, Asiwaju of Ijesaland and Chairman of the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA), reflects on the Owa's journey of public service, enterprise, philanthropy, traditional leadership and his vision for the socio-economic development of Ijesaland.
Titled “A Royal Life of Service, a Throne of Destiny and a Vision for a Greater Ijesaland,” the tribute goes beyond a celebration of age to examine the responsibilities, opportunities and developmental aspirations associated with the Owa Obokun throne at this important stage of his reign.
Asiwaju Fasuyi also highlights key areas of the monarch's developmental vision, including agriculture, youth empowerment, skills development, mining, enterprise, cooperative development, human-capital development, culture and the preservation of Ijesa heritage.
KAKAKIOODUA ONLINE presents the full tribute below as part of the celebration of His Imperial Majesty's 78th birthday and the continuing conversation about the future of Ijesaland.....
A ROYAL LIFE OF SERVICE, A THRONE OF DESTINY AND A VISION FOR A GREATER IJESALAND: ROYAL HONOURING HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY OWA CLEMENT ADESUYI HAAATRUP, AJIMOKO III @ 78
There are birthdays that mark the passage of time, and there are birthdays that invite people to pause and reflect on the life, wisdom and responsibility of a most revered and respected monarch who has become an institution in his own right. The 78th birthday of His Imperial Majesty, Owa Sir Dr. Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, is one of such occasion.It is a moment to honour a life of remarkable accomplishment, public service, enterprise, philanthropy and leadership, while also reflecting on the enormous responsibility that now rests upon the shoulders of a revered monarch whose destiny has become inseparably connected with the aspirations of the Ijesa people.
Your Imperial Majesty stands at a unique point where experience meets responsibility, wisdom meets vision, and history meets the future. Your journey through public service, entrepreneurship, community leadership and philanthropy has provided you with a wealth of experience which you now bring to the ancient throne of the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland. It is this combination of enormous experience and traditional authority that gives your reign a distinctive character and creates great expectations for the future of Ijesaland.
Your contribution to good governance and public service as a former Deputy Governor in Osun State remains an important part of this journey. Your experience in public administration and governance exposed you to the realities of leadership, the complexity of decision-making and, most importantly, the responsibility of government to improve the lives of its people. That experience has become an invaluable asset on the throne, where the welfare of the people, peaceful coexistence and constructive engagement with government and stakeholders across the six LGAs in Ijesaland remain central responsibilities of your traditional leadership.
Your Imperial Majesty has also demonstrated in your reign, an understanding that enterprise is an important instrument of development. Without dwelling on your specific business interests, your entrepreneurial experience has shown the value of your initiative, courage, innovation, investment and job creation in building a stronger and economic vibrant Ijesaland and the entire society at large. You have demonstrated that wealth and enterprise acquire greater meaning when they are connected to human development, opportunity creation and the advancement of the wider community.
It is therefore significant that you have brought this broad experience to the Owa Obokun throne at a time when Ijesaland requires visionary, purposeful and development-oriented leadership. The challenges confronting our people in Ijesaland are many: unemployment, youth migration, inadequate infrastructure, the need for stronger healthcare and educational institutions, the underutilisation of our agricultural potential, and the urgent need to transform our enormous mineral and human resources into sustainable economic prosperity.
Your reign has already begun to respond to these challenges by placing economic transformation, agriculture, skills development, youth empowerment, mining, enterprise development and human-capital development firmly within the developmental conversation of Ijesaland. Your launch of a ₦5 billion development appeal fund, with a personal commitment of ₦1 billion as take-off funding, represents a significant statement of intent about the kind of Ijesaland you envision; one in which development is driven not only by government but also by the collective strength and resources of the people.
Your emphasis on agriculture and agripreneurship is particularly important. Ijesaland possesses fertile land, hardworking people and generations of agricultural knowledge. What is required is a deliberate transition from subsistence activity to a modern, commercially viable and youth-driven agriculture. By encouraging young people to become producers, investors and employers rather than merely job seekers, Your Imperial Majesty is pointing towards a pathway that can address unemployment, strengthen food security and stimulate rural economic development.
The same developmental vision is evident in your attention to the vast mineral resources of Ijesaland. For decades, the Ijesaland has been recognised for its mineral wealth, yet the challenge has been how to convert that natural endowment into broad-based prosperity while ensuring responsible and sustainable exploitation. Your advocacy for investment, responsible mining, employment creation and the protection of host communities represents an important step towards repositioning the mineral resources of Ijesaland as an engine of economic transformation rather than simply an underground wealth waiting to be discovered.
Equally commendable is your recognition that the economic renaissance of Ijesaland must include the ordinary people at the grassroots. The Ijesaland Cooperative Society (ICS) and similar initiatives which was supported and endorsed by your rulership represent an understanding that development must reach beyond the major towns and traditional institutions into the 64 wards of Ijesaland. By encouraging cooperative enterprise, access to revolving finance and local economic participation, your administration is promoting a model of development in which communities and individuals become active participants in centre of commerce, creating wealth and improving their own circumstances.
But development is not only about infrastructure or economic activity, people must also know their worth, remember their heroes and preserve their identity. Your landmark initiative of the Obokungbusi Hall of Fame is therefore more profound than a mere recognition of distinguished Ijesas. It is an investment in the historical memory of our people; a deliberate effort to document excellence, honour service and provide younger generations with examples of Ijesas whose lives have brought honour to the homeland.
This is a particularly important dimension of royal leadership. A great monarch does not only protect the heritage inherited from the ancestors; he also helps to shape the identity that future generations will inherit. By recognising distinguished Sons and Daughters of Ijesaland, Your Imperial Majesty is sending a powerful message that excellence matters, service matters, achievement matters, and those who contribute to the advancement of their people should never be forgotten.
Your commitment to culture and heritage is equally significant. In an age when globalisation is rapidly changing values, traditions and identities, the Owa Obokun institution has an important responsibility to preserve the cultural foundations of the Ijesa people while simultaneously opening the doors to modern development. Your approach reflects the understanding that Ijesaland does not have to choose between preserving its heritage and embracing the future. We can honour where we come from while building where we are going.
Your Imperial Majesty's vision also extends beyond Ijesaland. The development of our homeland is inseparable from the development of Osun State and Nigeria. A prosperous Ijesaland contributes to a prosperous Osun; a prosperous Osun contributes to a stronger Nigeria. Your emphasis on enterprise, investment, human capital, agriculture, mining, infrastructure and institutional development therefore has implications beyond the boundaries of the Ijesaland kingdom.
This is where your experience in public service and governance becomes particularly relevant. Having experienced the responsibilities of government from within, you understand that development requires more than good intentions. It requires vision, planning, accountability, collaboration, continuity and the ability to bring diverse interests together around a common purpose.
And perhaps this is one of the greatest strengths that Your Imperial Majesty brings to the throne; the ability to connect different worlds. You understand government, enterprise, community, philanthropy, the importance of royal institutions, and now, as Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, you are royally endowed as the traditional authority to bring these experiences together in the service of your people. That is a rare convergence of experience, responsibility and opportunity.
At 78, therefore, the question is not simply how many years Your Imperial Majesty has lived. The more important question is what can 78 years of experience accomplish when placed at the service of an entire people? What can a lifetime of knowledge do for the young? What can a lifetime of relationships do for investment? What can a lifetime of experience do for good governance? What can a lifetime of enterprise do for employment and wealth creation? What can a lifetime of service do for the transformation of Ijesaland? These are the questions that make your 78th birthday more than a personal milestone. They make it an occasion for Ijesaland to reflect on its possibilities and its responsibilities.
Your Imperial Majesty, the throne you occupy is ancient, but the challenges before you are modern. The Owa Obokun institution must therefore continue to evolve as a force for unity, development, cultural confidence and economic transformation.
As Your Imperial Majesty celebrates 78 years, history has placed you at a remarkable intersection: you have lived through the past, you understand the present, and you now have the opportunity to influence the future.
As your Imperial Majesty celebrates this royal milestone, May Almighty God grant Your Imperial Majesty the wisdom to carry this sacred responsibility with distinction, the strength to pursue the developmental aspirations of Ijesaland, the courage to make difficult decisions when necessary, and the grace to unite all distinguished Sons and Daughters of Ijesaland both in Nigeria and diaspora towards a common destiny.
Kaaaaabiiyeeesiiiiiii O!
Igba Odun, Odun Kan l'ase Edumare!
Eshin Oba a J'oko Pe!
Irukere A D'Okinni!
L'aiye Ajimoko III, Ire La Nwa Ire La Nri Ire, Ire, Ire!
Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi
The Asiwaju of Ijesaland,
The Chairman of ICDA,
Oke Baba Okuta Villa, Ilesa.
19th September, 2026
.jpeg)
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment