President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conferment of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Olalekan Ishola Balogun (Ali Okunmade II)…..CONTINUE READING...CONTINUE READING
This development comes few weeks after the monarch was appointed as the chancellor of Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education, Kumbotso, by the government of Kano state.
The federal ministry of special duties and inter-governmental affairs, while making this known on Sunday, May 28, noted that Oba Balogun was listed among the recipients of the 2023 special national honour award.
The ministry stated that 75 Nigerians would be honoured with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), 39 others would be conferred with the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), while 23 recipients would be conferred with CFR.
It added that a former secretary general of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, would be honoured with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
It is pertinent to note that Senator Kola Balogun, representing Oyo South senatorial district, in a letter dated May 19 requested that the minister of special duties and inter-governmental affairs, George Akume, present and recommend the Olubadan for the CFR award to the outgoing President Buhari.
The senator listed the direction of the life of the Olubadan, who is also his elder brother, and stated that he was worthy of the CFR Award.
Senator Balogun, in the letter, said that, “Oba Lekan Balogun’s political career commenced in 1978 when he joined the late Alhaji Aminu Kano’s Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) where he rose to the position of deputy national secretary.
“He was a presidential aspirant in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and later became governorship candidate of the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) in Oyo state.
“The military interventions put a halt to his political aspirations for 16 years before his return in 1999 when he contested and won the senate seat of Oyo Central Senatorial District as the Distinguished Senate in the fourth Senate.
“Between 1999 and 2003, he was the chairman, senate committee on national planning, member of the senate committees on appropriations, security and intelligence, police affairs, defence and army.
“As the monarch rose in politics, he also rose in the traditional chieftaincy hierarchy of Ibadanland, culminating in his position as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, one of the two most senior chiefs in Ibadanland.
“This was prior to his ascension to the prestigious throne of the Olubadan of Ibadanland on March 11, 2022.
“The Oba has also just been appointed as the Chancellor of Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education, Kumbotso, Kano, by the government of Kano State.
“Kabiyesi, Oba, Dr., Senator Mohood Olalekan Ishola Balogun Aliiwo, Alli Okunmade II, is also a renowned technocrat, an author, a scholar, an astute and a rare breed politician, a businessman and philanthropist,” he added.
It is pertinent to note that Oba Balogun was born on October 18, 1942, and he had his primary and secondary education in his hometown, Ibadan, before leaving the shores of the country for Manchester University in the United Kingdom.
He later attended Brunel University where he bagged his first and second degrees in economics and public and social administration.
Oba Balogun had a stint at Lamberth department as a worker from where he left in pursuit of his doctorate degree program.
He returned to Nigeria to take up one of two appointments at the then University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna state.
The monarch also joined ABU’s Centre for Social and Economic Research as a research fellow.
Oba Balogun, afterwards, joined Shell British Petroleum Company and rose to become administrator/ head, industrial relations, recruitment, scholarships, planning and development unit.
In addition, he served as the director of Triumph Newspaper in Kano, Editor of Nigerian Pathfinder, a monthly magazine, management consultant to some multinational companies which included Leyland Motors, Exide Battery, and Nigerian Breweries.…..CONTINUE READING
