20th March, 2024
By Kingsley Okoye
The Senate on Wednesday at plenary resolved to name one of its committee rooms after the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun.
Oba Balogun died on March 15, at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, at the age of 81, after a brief illness two years after ascending the throne on March 11, 2022.
Senate’s resolution on immortalisation of the late Oba was a sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sen. Sharafadeen Ali ( APC- Oyo).
Ali, in his motion, said the late Olubadan was a leader par excellence, a community developer and a service driven politician.
This, he said, resulted in his election as a senator between 1999 and 2003.
“The late Olubadan was a man of peace and custodian of culture and values of the Yoruba people,” he said.
One of the senators from Oyo State, Addulfai Buhari, also contributed to the debate on the motion, saying that the late traditional ruler impacted positively on the lives of those whom he came across.
Buhari said the book written by the late Oba, titled: “Arrogance of Power”, presented to him in 2003 when he won election into the House of Representatives, has helped in the discharge of his legislative duties over the years.
Also, Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro, (PDP- Benue), eulogised the virtues of the late traditional ruler.
Senate accordingly adopted all the prayers sought as resolutions, one of which was to immortalise the late Oba by naming one of the Senate committee rooms after him.
It also observed a minute silence in honour of the late Olubadan.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, urged Sen. Buhari to make available copies of “Arrogance of Power”, authored by the deceased, to all senators.
(NAN)