SNOOP COMMUNICATIONS

 

AT 37, OBA OLASUNKANMI BECOMES

 THE YOUNGEST KING IN LAGOS

By Lanre Olaleye

Dateline: Wednesday 11^th December 2024.

The Isheri/Idimu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) secretariat complex adjacent to the popular Isheri Roundabout was the place to be as Prince Ibrahim Olasunkanm Lawal-Bello became the youngest monarch to ever mount the Onisheri-throne.

He became the 5^th monarch of the ancient Awori town after succeeding the late Oba Wahab Ayinde Balogun who died 8^th February 2022 at the ripe age of 94

His ascension to the throne followed an intensive selection process which involved the Ifa Divination rites and voting among the nine kingmakers of the ancient town. Five candidates from the Olanwa Ruling House vied for the throne among whom are Prince Hakeem Akanji Ogundeyi; Prince Atobatele Adebowale Ojunnu; Prince Sulaiman Raji Adebiyi; Prince Lukmon Jaiyeola Adebiyi and Prince Ibrahim Olaunkanmi Lawal-Bello.

At the end of the voting exercise, Prince Olasunkanmi Lawa;-Bello had a simple majority of five votes to beat his closest rival, Prince Hakeem Ogundeyi who had three votes while one of the kingmakers died before the voting exercise.

It would be recalled that the selection process was almost marred by under hand scheming purportedly orchestrated by one of the sons of the late monarch, one Prince Idris Dalogun (a.k.a Oluomo)  to subvert the popular choice of the kingmakers through a petition to the Ministry of Local Government Administration, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development alleging discrepancies in the selection process.

The Snoop gathered that the selection process soon passed the ministry’s integrity test after being found to have conformed with regulations and guidelines as contained in the Chieftaincy Laws of Lagos State. Rather, residents and critical stakeholders of bthe town were left in awe as a litigation filed by one of the candidates, Prince Hakeem Ogundeyi challenging the selection of Prince Olasunkanmi Lawal-Bello  as the Oba-elect looked poised to thwart the whole exercise.

The litigant is praying an Ikeja High Court to grant an interim injunction restraining the state government and the local government authorities from installing the Oba-elect as the new Onisheri of Isheri Kingmakers. After two adjournments, Justice A.M. Lawal  lifted the injunction placed on the respondents on the 11^th November 2024.

The lifting of the injunction put paid to all legal encumbrances inhibiting the state government from installing the new king. Indeed, exactly 11^th December 2024 after performing the mandatory seclusion rites (Ipebi) the soft-spokrn prince Iwas installed Oba brahim Olasunkanmi Lawal-Bello, Olanwa 1, Onisheri of Isheri Kingdom by the state governor. Babajide Olushola Sanwoolu ably represented by the state commissioner for Local Government Administration, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Bolaji Kayode Roberts (Bibire) and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Bolarinwa Kikelomo

Oba Olasunkanmi, the fourth born in the family of  Late Oseni Kehinde and Alhaja Moriam Abebi was born on June 13^th 1987. He thus goes down in history as the youngest monarch (at the age of 37) to mount a traditional throne in Lagos State as well as the Onisheri of Isheri throne since its inception   

For close watchers, Oba Olasunkanmi’s ascension to the Onisheri throne is symbolic and divine. He had never lived a life of splendor and opulence. Completely oblivious of his royal blood, Ibrahim never dreamt of royalty talk less of becoming king of an ancient town like Isheri. His father, Late Oseni Kehinde Lawal-Bello did not tell him his family is from a ruling house in Isheri.

But all that soon changed sometime in 2022 after the demise of Oba Wahab Balogun. The young prince was in Cyprus on a business trip. He had a dream where he had a divine encounter with the late Oba whom he had only met once in real life. In that dream, Ibrahim pointedly asked the late king which family is next in line for the Onisheri throne? The king excitedly told him the Olanwa Ruling House would produce the next king.

Oblivious of the import of his dream, an agitated Ibrahim put a call through to his mum, Alhaja  Moriam Abeni back home. After narrating the dream, his mum told him that he is truly from the Olanwa Ruling House. She further told him the Kingmakers had even requested for nomination of candidates to the vacant throne of Onisheri. After making consultation with influential members the larger Olanwa Ruling House, Ibrahim decided to throw his hat into the ring to vie for the Onisheri throne from the Olanwa Ruling House.

Among the five candidates that contested for the throne, the young prince was the dark horse in the park. Aside being the youngest, he was less fancied. He spent his early age outside Isheri and therefore was less known by most indigenes of the town. However, it was obvious the gods of the land highly favour him as the Ifa Oracle clearly selected him as the anointed one whose reign would bring peace, progress and development to the ancient town.

Beside, for the uninitiated, Prince Ibrahim’s academic background as a qualified Chemical Engineer puts him on a higher pedestal ahead of his rivals. His success story as CEO of Bucknor Logistics, Bucknoe Enterprises and Bucknor FC of Alimosho is a compelling inspiration in hard work and industry. As a FIFA Licensed football agent, he has travelled far and wide helping to export young football talents to realize their professional dreams abroad.   

But despite these impressive academic and professional records, there were plots and scheme to thwart the course of destiny which the gods and deities of the land had placed on the young prince. With an overwhelming support across the landscape of Isheri and beyond, Prince Ibrahim Olasunkanmi has the taken the mantle of leadership of the ancient Aori town as the 5^th Onisheri of Isheri Kingdom.