Adeyeye EnitanOgunwusi is newOoni of Ife

The Osun State
Government has
unveiled a new Ooni of
Ife.
He is Adeyeye Enitan
Ogunwusi, a 40-year old
real estate magnate and
prince from the Giesi
Ruling House in the
town.
He becomes the 51st
Ooni of Ife.

The Secretary to the
Osun State Government
said the selection of the
new Ooni followed the
completion of all
processes for the filling
of the exalted stool.

Mr. Ogunwusi was
selected from 21
candidates presented by
the Giesi ruling house
for the exalted stool.

The statement, made
available to PREMIUM
TIMES Monday on
morning, said, “The
Governor of the State of
Osun, Ogbeni Rauf
Adesoji Aregbesola has
approved the
appointment of a new
Ooni of Ife.
“He is Prince Adeyeye
Enitan Ogunwusi of
Giesi Ruling House of
Ile-Ife, State of Osun.
“This choice follows the
completion of the due
process by the
kingmakers and the
communication of their
decision to
Government.”

The announcement of a
new traditional ruler for
the ancient town came
89 days after the death
of Oba Okunade
Sijuwade at a London
clinic.

After school, he grew rapidly in
business, becoming a successful
real estate merchant.
His bio on the website of Imperial
Homes Mortgage Bank Limited (a
subsidiary of GTBank) on which
board he sits as non executive
director, reads, “Mr. Ogunwusi is
a graduate of Accountancy and a
certified member of the Institute
of Chartered Accountants of
Nigeria and of the Institute of
Management.
“He has been involved in
engineering, procurement and
construction (EPC) contracts
locally and abroad for over 11
years.
“He was involved in the
development of the Northern
Foreshore Estate, Cityscape
International Limited’s Buena
Vista project in Lekki,
Primewaterview Limited’s
projects, Westcom Limited’s
projects, and the Ajaokuta Steel’s
and Delta Steel’s resuscitation
projects
“Adeyeye (Ogunwusi) is currently
the Managing Director of Howard
Roark Gardens Limited which is
undertaking multi-million naira
Jacob Mews Estate project in Yaba
and the Lakeview real estate
development in Lekki.”

To become Ooni, Mr. Ogunwusi
defeated 20 other contenders,
including his 48-year old real
estate- magnate brother, Adetunji,
the Group Chairman of
Primewaterview Holdings
(comprising of Primewaterview
Limited and PWV Management
Services).
Controversy
The emergence of Mr. Ogunwusi
as Ooni was not without
controversy.
No sooner had the search for the
successor to Oba Sijuwade began
than some ruling houses in the
town started bickering over whose
turn it was to produce the next
king for the ancient city.

Although it appeared settled that
the Giesi house would produce the
next Ooni, being next to the
Ogboru ruling house in the
succession order established by
government declaration on the
Ooni chieftaincy title of 1977, the
Ogboru rand Lafogido ruling
houses challenged the decision of
the kingmakers to restrict the
search to Giesi .
The Ogboru family contended that
the Giesi ruling lineage should
blame itself for conceding its turn
to produce an Ooni to the late Oba
Sijuwade, saying the concession to
the late king was to him as an
individual and not to the Ogboru
clan as a whole.

Two members of the Lafogido
Ruling House also sued Governor
Aregbesola, the Obalufe of Ile-Ife,
the late Oba Solomon Omisakin
and Lowa of Ife, Joseph Ijaodola
at an Osun State High Court over
the decision to allow only the
Giesi Ruling House present
candidates for the stool.
They asked the court to nullify the
1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration,
saying it was “lopsided, unjust,
unconstitutional and unfair.”
The court dismissed the suit,
paving the way for the selection of
Mr. Ogunwusi as Ooni.

There are four ruling houses in
Ile-Ife – Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru,
and Oshikola.
Oba Sijuwade, who reigned
between 1980 and 2015, is of the
Ogboru royal lineage.
Before Mr. Ogunwusi’s
appointment, Monday, the last
descendant of the Giesi ruling
house that occupied the position
was Ooni Derin Ologbenla and
that was between 1880 and 1894.
The other royal houses have also
taken turns to produce Obas for
the ancient town at various times.
The Ogboru lineage produced Oba
Adelekan Olubuse I, who reigned
between 1894 and 1910, with the
Lafogido ruling house producing
his successor, Oba Ademuluyi
Ajagu (1910-1930).
Oba Sijuwade’s predecessor,
Adesoji Aderemi, who reigned
between 1930 and 1980, came
from the Oshikola ruling house.