Ooni Of Ife Passed Away To Glory

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, died at the age of 85 in a London hospital after a brief illness on the 28^th July 2015.

Oba, whose official title was His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II,

Officially, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade was born on January 1, 1930. He became the 50th traditional ruler or Ooni of Ife at the age of 50 in 1980, taking the regnal name Olubuse II.

The late Ooni was crowned on December 6, 1980 in a ceremony attended by his close friend and business partner, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero; the Oba of Benin, Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I; the Amayanabo of Opobo; and Olu of Warri, as well as by representatives of the Queen of England.

Born in Ile-Ife to the Ogbooru ruling house, Sijuwade was the grandson of the Ooni Sijuwade Adelekan Olubuse I. He studied at Abeokuta Grammar School and Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife.

He worked for three years in his father’s business, then for two years with the Nigerian Tribune, before attending Northampton College in the United Kingdom to study business management.

By the age of 30, he was a manager in Leventis, a Greek-Nigerian conglomerate. In 1963, he became Sales Director of the state-owned National Motors in Lagos. After spotting a business opportunity during a 1964 visit to the Soviet Union, he formed a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria, which became the nucleus of a widespread business empire.

He also invested in real estate in his hometown of Ile Ife. By the time Sijuwade was crowned Ooni in 1980 he had become a wealthy man.

Sijuwade was a Christian. In November 2009, he attended the annual general meeting of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria accompanied by 17 other traditional rulers.