By Kaseem Jenrade
The National President of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Dele Ayanleke Elegbede, has been presented with the staff of office as the Onibise of Komu in the Itesiwaju LGA of Oyo State.
The coronation and presentation of the instrument of office were conducted by the Director in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Kola Abiola, on behalf of the state Governor, Seyi Makinde.
The event, which showcased Yoruba culture and tradition, attracted traditional rulers, political leaders, government officials and indigenes of Komu from across the country and abroad.
Speaking at the ceremony on Friday, Abiola, who represented the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Otunba Ojo Ademola, congratulated the new monarch and the people of Komu on behalf of the governor.
He described the occasion as more than a celebration of the emergence of a new monarch, saying it also marked the celebration of an enduring cultural heritage.
Abiola said traditional rulers remained important pillars of society, serving as custodians of customs, traditions and cultural identity.
He added that monarchs played significant roles in conflict resolution, promoting peaceful coexistence and facilitating the implementation of government policies at the grassroots.
The director said the Makinde administration remained committed to strengthening traditional institutions by ensuring that the selection and installation of traditional rulers were transparent, lawful and free from undue influence.
He urged the Onibise to regard his ascension to the throne as a call to service, advising him to be a father to all residents of Komu, irrespective of their political, religious or social affiliations.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Itesiwaju LG, Ojo Monsuru Olayemi, congratulated the monarch and commended Makinde for his developmental initiatives across Oke-Ogun and the state.
Olayemi specifically praised the governor for the rehabilitation of the Okaka-Otu-Igbojaye-Komu-Babaode road.
He urged residents of the local government to support the governor’s political ambition, describing such support as a way of reciprocating his administration’s developmental efforts.
In their separate remarks, the Sabigana of Iganna land, Oba Soliu Azeez Oyemonla Agunloye; the Oniro of Komu, Oba Jonah Awujoola Olagboyega Kolade II; and the Onigbope of Igbope, Oba Moses Olawale Oyetola, called for unity, love and peaceful coexistence among the people of Komu.
The traditional rulers urged the new monarch to see his emergence as a responsibility to serve the people and called on residents to cooperate with him in advancing the development of the ancient town.
Agunloye also appealed to Makinde to facilitate the elevation of other traditional rulers awaiting the review of their status.
Former Chairman of Itesiwaju LGA, Adisa Olarinre; Surv. Dasola Adefabi Fadiran; Ajayi Taiwo; Barrister Leke Oladeji; and Engineer Adeniran Ajibade, in their goodwill messages, congratulated the monarch and the people of Komu.
Olarinre and Fadiran urged the people to unite and harness the mineral and natural resources in the area for the development of their community.
Oladeji and Ajibade described the emergence of Ayanleke as a blessing to Komu, noting his contributions to the mining sector and his national recognition.
The Chairman of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Niger State chapter, and Waziri of Wawa Kingdom, Muhammad Abdulrazak Abu Musa Yusuf, described the new monarch as a man of impeccable character.
Yusuf commended Yoruba cultural institutions and urged the people of Komu to support the monarch in using his experience to accelerate development in the community.
Profile of the new monarch
Oba Dele Ayanleke Elegbede, also known as Oba Ayandele Olaitan Oyebisi Ayanleke, was born in March 1961 to the late Mogaji Tijani Ayanleke Elegbede of the Baale Onibise Folarin Ruling House, Ibise, Komu, and Madam Aishat Oyenihun Ayinbo Ayanleke, née Olaogun, of Alaago Compound, Ilesan, Komu.
He had his elementary and secondary education in Komu before obtaining a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Ilorin.
Ayanleke began his rise in the Nigerian mining sector as Assistant Secretary of the Oyo State chapter of the Miners Association of Nigeria in 2005. He later became the association’s National Secretary in 2014 before emerging as its National President.