…Your New Position, Call To Service – Owa-Ooye
By Demola Atobaba, AdoEkiti
Saturday 16th October, 2021 would remain a memorable day for the entire Okemesi indigenes as the monarch of the town, HRM Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, JP, CON, installed Chief Mike Ademola Oyeniyi Babalola as the new High Chief Oba Aro of the Community with pomp and pegeantry. A grand Thanksgiving Service followed suit at the Saints Michael Anglican Church, Okemesi-Ekiti.
The new Oba Aro received the reward after many years of his phillantropic services to the community in terms of providing for the poor and the needy.
Little did he know that his actions are being watched with appreciative minds. He was also recently confered as new High Chief Oba Aro of Okemesi-Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Areas of the state, and to many, the gesture shows the magnitude of his contributions to the development of the town.
His nomination was ratified at the Omo Ile Aro meeting held on the 26th of July 2021. He was later presented to the Owa-Ooye-In-Council on the 16th of August 2021 at the Owa-Ooye Palace in a brief but well attended ceremony by the cream of Ile Aro sons and daughters and other well-wishers which included the representatives of Ile Asunlua (His Mother’s side), alongside others who thronged the palace from different parts of country.
His nomination as the new Oba Aro was neccessitated after the demise of the late Oba Aro, High Chief Hezekiah Akinola Adediran who passed unto glory in January, 2020 at the age of 94.
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The insurance expert was born on the 24th of April 1960, he attended Saint Paul’s African Church Primary School Okemesi, between 1967 and 1972 as well as Okemesi Grammar School, in Okemesi Ekiti, between 1975 and 1980.
He started his Insurance career with the Pension’s Division of Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) in 1981 after leaving his secondary education and proceeded to the Ekiti State University (formerly known as Obafemi Awolowo University) as a member of the third set of the then new University established by the old Ondo State.
Shortly after his first degree, Chief Oba Aro worked briefly with the defunct People’s Bank of Nigeria between 1990 and 1991 before returning to the broking arm of the Insurance Industry where he worked with Femi Johnson & Coy Limited for over 16 years.
He established City Covenant Insurance Brokers Limited along other Nigerian investors. Babalola who is also a chartered Insurer is currently the Managing Director/CEO of City Covenant Insurance Brokers Limited, Lagos.
While performing the installation rites, HRM Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, JP, CON, stated that, “I thank God and I am really excited because today’s event is a major event which happens to be the official installation of the new Oba Aro who happens to be one of the Aare’ke that we normally called Most High Chiefs in the town. Aare’ke in Okemesi simply means the Most High Chiefs and we referred to them as the kingmakers and they are just six in number,” he said.
The monarch charged him to support the Palace activities as well as other Chiefs and to assist the Federation of Okemesi Improvement Union in moving the town forward. He also noted that developing Okemesi is a collective responsibility and urged the new Oba Aro to work in collaboration with other Chiefs.
The first-class traditional ruler described Chief Babalola as physically and mentally fit for the new position in all ramifications, saying: “We expect a lot of good things from him because everybody have made great comments about him and I prayed that God will guide and see him through to deliver as expected.
“It is not just enough to nominate him and present him to the Owa-Ooye-in-Council alone which they have done. They should not go back just like that, they must continue their support for him, guide him because he’s just coming in as a new Chief.
In a separate interview with journalists, the National President of the Federation of Okemesi Improvement Union (FOIU), Chief Alhaji Bayo Ajijola congratulated the newly installed Chief Oba Aro and thanked God for the successful ceremony.
According to him, “This is my first time of attending this kind of a unique chieftaincy tittle in this town and I’m impressed. I believed that, it’s going to serve as a step forward towards building a robust unity in our community because the newly installed Chief Oba Aro is a highly intelligent person and he is going to bring a lot of development intiatives to the operations of the Owa-Ooye-in-Council and definitely he’s going to unifying the Owa-Ooye-in-Council as well.
“I wish him a successful installation as the new Oba Aro of Okemesi and a prosperous and healthy years of service to the Ile Aro community and the entire Okemesi indigenes home and diaspora.” Ajijola stated.
Also speaking at the event, former Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Government, and the Oluomo of Okemesi, Otunba Olukunle Ojo said: “The new Chief Oba Aro is an excellently man who is a friend junior to a friend called Augustus Akinlolu but all the while, he has been with us and he’s an extremely good person. Recently, he joined our club, The Integral Club of Okemesi.
“He’s a type of person that has taken hardwork as his watchword and for whatever reason, I can say that the people from the Ile Aro compound in Okemesi have not made a wrong choice because he is a round peg in a round hole.
“He was well brought up in a Christian way, it’s expected of him to toll the line of the senior Chiefs called ‘Kingmakers’. Chief Ojo said.
Expressing her joy, the wife of the celebrant, Chief Mrs Janet EbunOluwa Oyeniyi described her husband as hardworking, very gentle and a God-fearing personality.
She said: “When we were told about this development by elders from the Aro families, we prayed about it and God gave us a go-ahead. I feel great, excited and happy for the success of the corronation. My husband is an easy-going man who doesn’t cause trouble. I always pray that the God Almighty will grant him all the necessary wisdom needed to take charge and to lead his people to their promised land”. She remarked.
While appreciating the Owa-Ooye’s guesture and the Ile Aro community for bestowing on him a chieftaincy tittle, the celebrant, Chief Mike Ademola Babalola said, “Kabiesi just happened to be a round peg in a round hole. A man that has enviable leadership qualities. He is not a proud person and is always there to serve his people at all times.”
“To the glory of God. Today is the most happiest day of my life. Honestly, in all the sixty one years of my existence, I have never been celebrated like this. During my 50th birthday, for one reason or the other I couldn’t even mark it, same thing happens during my 60th birthday which I had planned elaborately, but eventually there was Covid-19 pandemic ravaging all the entire world last year April which led to a serious restriction of movement across the country.”
“Today is the day that the Lord has given me. I shall be eternally grateful to the Alayelua, the Owa-Ooye of Okemesi-Ekiti, HRM Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji for the love he has showered on me within this short period that I have known him. He has taken me as if he has known me for a very long time. He has been relating with me like a father and has allayed my fear. He advised me and said so many things just to encourage me. I am grateful to him to the extent that most of the things that look terrifying to me, whenever I go to the palace and he speaks to me, I feel relieved and get more determination to face the task ahead.
“I am also grateful to the entire Chiefs, the entire Owa-Ooye, all of them have showed me love. I look forward to working with them towards the progress of Okemesi and my appreciation also goes to the entire Ile Aro community of Okemesi for the prayers, support from day one till date, they are all lovely.
Narrating his experience so far, Chief Babalola said, “It has been very marvelous and I can boldly say that there has not been any dissenting voices from any quarter. Though, I did not struggle to become the new Oba Aro, as far as I can say, it was a call to family duty, a call to community service and when this call came and I have prayed very well with my God-fearing and lovely wife, we decided to seek God’s face and my father in Heaven gave us the go-ahead through various means by several ministers of God that I should go ahead and that there won’t be any problem. I accepted the offer wholeheartedly.”
He pledged his readiness to contribute his quota to the development of the town, saying, “I look forward to preach love and ensure that Ile Aro as a community remain united because it is when we are united that we can identify our problems together and confront them towards the growth of our dear Jerusalem – Okemesi-Ekiti,” he said.
Chief Oba Aro, a livestock and crop farmer, is happily married with lovely children.
Some of the dignitaries at the event include the Ala of Ila Ijesa; HRM Oba Adewale Ojarotade, former Chief of Staff to Lagos State and Oluomo of Okemesi; Chief Kunle Ojo, a member of Osun State House of Assembly; Hon. Barr. Joshua Ademola Adedeji and Vice President 1; Messr Goke Omidiran alongside other FOIU national executives.
Others are Mr Adeosun Joel Ojo, Prof. Lawrence Olofintoye of Ekiti State University, Engr. Tunde Ajanaku, representatives from other branches of FOIU across the country, religious leaders, High Chiefs, politicians, artisans market women, youth wing and the host of others.
