TELL Magazine

It is now official: The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse the second has joined his ancestors. The Ife Traditional Council, which has been in denial in the past three weeks, when the death of the monarch was first rumoured, has stated that the Oba is no more. The Council made this known today, adding that it was customary to keep the news under wraps until certain traditional rites had been concluded.
Oba Sijuwade died in a London hospital where he had gone for treatment and in what appeared like a conflict of tradition and modernity, the media got the story and went to town with it. This created some upset as the traditional council insists that the monarch was still alive, while the media stuck to the news of his demise. The media was convinced that its source was right on target when Sijuwade was not at the wedding ceremony of his son, Adegbite and reports continue of some traditional rites in the town.
Now, all that conflict has been put to rest. The next thing is for the media to watch the Council on who becomes the next Ooni of Ife.