Hot SourceThe Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Saturday visited the family of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
The Sultan’s visit to the Adetona family coincided with his attendance at the coronation of Rashidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan.
Received by the heir of the royal family, Prince Saud Adedire Adetona, the Sultan urged continuous prayers for the late Awujale.
He said: “Let’s continue to pray for him anytime we find an opportunity. When we do offer our daily prayers as Muslims; our five daily prayers, prayers on Jumuah, because that’s what we normally do for our leaders. Because they have left their part in the world. They have gone and it’s left for us to continue to be on what they have left behind for us. and truly, the void aspect on what they have left for us.
“First of all, we thank Almighty Allah for his blessing and for bringing us together this afternoon as members of one big family. And I said one big family because I also belong to Awujale family. I must first recognize the mothers of this family, the Oloris present and then the other family members. On my right hand side, my own very good friend (Kuku), despite the King’s College, somebody I’ve known for so many years, even before I became Sultan because of the famous hospital.
“Other distinguished members of the Awujale and other brothers and sisters here, I greet you in the best form of greeting, Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuhu.”
He continued: “We thank Almighty Allah for bringing us home, and as we arrived, we went straight to the grave of our brother, our friend, and offered our prayers to him even though we’ve been praying for him while alive, while he was operating from indexes, and when Almighty Allah called him. We pray to Almighty Allah to forgive him and grant him Aljannat al-Firdaus.”
He also offered advice for peace to continue to prevail in Ijebu Land before, during, and after the process of selecting the new Awujale.
“Let’s try to be the best we can be. Let’s do what we believe will bring peace to our community, to our countries, and of course, to our personal lives as families. We believe the family is a very important unit. And every development starts from a family and alhamdulillahi, this family has been a good family so far and I urge them to continue to reach out to one another, reach out to all of us, so that we have peace.
“And we pray to Almighty Allah subhaanau wa ta’ala to give us an Awujale who will surpass the works our brother, Adetona, did during his lifetime. May he give us somebody who will unite the entire community. The entire South West and the entire country,” said the Sultan.
