Ooni For Burial On Friday

Following the formal announcement of the demise of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, by the Ife Royal Traditional Council, the first son of the late monarch, Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade, has said the remains of the Ooni will be buried on Friday.
The prince said this during a meeting with Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the Government House, Osogbo on Wednesday.
Tokunbo and one of his siblings, Princess Aderounmu Fadeyi, accompanied the chiefs to meet with Aregbesola at the Government House, Osogbo, where they made the official announcement of the transition of the Ooni.

The chiefs were led to the meeting with the governor by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola and the of Iremo, Oba Solomon Omisakin.
Tokunbo said, "We are here to tell you that Baba (Oba Sijuwade) is gone. His body will arrive tomorrow (Thursday) and will be buried on Friday by 10am."
Singing dirges, the Obalufe announced that the monarch had "joined his ancestors" as he broke the news.
In an emotional laden voice, Oba Omisakin, said it was sad that the monarch had left the world to be with his forefathers.
Trying to defend the rebuttal of the chiefs since the demise of the monarch on July 28 in a London hospital, Omisakin said there were procedures to be followed in announcing the death of a monarch of the calibre of the departed Ooni.
He said, "Baba has gone to be with his ancestors. We have our ways of saying different things in the palace. For example, you cannot say the oba is drinking water when he is doing that in the actual sense. There is a way to say that.
"If the oba is sleeping, you cannot say it that way, we also have a way of saying it. We have different ways of saying things.
"He was a great philanthropist and we will all miss him sorely."
Oba Ijaodola thanked the governor and the people of the state, adding that they were happy that the Ooni lived a good live and would be missed by virtually all those who came across him while alive.
Aregbesola, who commiserated with the family and chiefs of Ife, said the Ooni did not die but had gone to join his ancestors.
The governor said that death was not the end of human existence according to the Yoruba belief but a transition to another realm.
Aregbesola eulogised the late monarch, saying he was a promoter of peace and that he did well to promote Yoruba culture and tradition.
The governor, who had during the special sitting of the House of Assembly, said that the late monarch sent him a text message before he travelled out, opened up on the content of the text message.
Reading out the message, which he said the Ooni sent to him on Thursday, July 23, the governor said, "Your Excellency, I 'm still not feeling too good, so, I am travelling abroad for further medical attention this week. I place you and your government under God's continuous guidance."
He said Ooni's death was a great loss to the state and the Yoruba race but stressed that the "Ooni was not dead" because it was a taboo to say the monarch was dead in Yoruba land.
It was gathered that the departed monarch would be buried beside his predecessor, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, in a mausoleum inside the palace.
A reliable palace source disclosed to our correspondents that the tomb had been prepared in readiness for the burial, which would be done in secret.
It was also gathered that some of the family members of the departed monarch had moved to his residence along Ife-Ede road, near the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
Some others have moved to various residences of the monarch in Ife town.
One of our Source learnt that an interdenominational service would be held for the monarch on Friday inside the palace.
"The interdenominational service is for Yoruba sons and daughters from every walk of life to come and bid our revered monarch goodbye," the source, who is an Ife chief, said.