Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu are in mourning mood over the passing of Oba De WhenoAholu Menu-Toyi I, the Akran of Badagry, who died yesterday at 89 years of age.
Obasanjo said the news of his passing was received with shock, even as he remarked that the late Badagry monarch emerged as one of the most respected traditional rulers in Lagos State.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, the Ota farmer said the monarch who reigned for about half a century “occupies a pedestal of looming importance in our ancient and contemporary history.”
According to Obasanjo, Badagry has, since pre-colonial times, remained a robust repository of the finest aspects of our cultural and artistic heritage. He added that the monarch would be remembered as a patriot and custodian of cultural and traditional values, who gave his best while on the throne of his forefathers.
“Within his impactful years on the throne, he brought his salutary influence to foster unity, solidarity, peace, understanding, faith and development in our common heritage among all the sons and daughters of Badagry and the entire Badagry Kingdom, both at home and in the diaspora.
“He was an apostle of inter-ethnic understanding and cohesion; inter-religious accommodation and tolerance and inter-cultural co-operation,” he said.
ON his part, Sanwo-Olu, in a statement on Monday, described the departure of Oba Akran as a great loss not only to the people of Badagry but also to Lagos and Nigeria at large because of his remarkable impact as a respected monarch in Nigeria.
He said the revered king, who was on the throne for nearly 49 years, is a traditional ruler known for his wisdom, cultural preservation, and advocacy for Badagry’s development, adding that he rendered selfless service to the people and left behind a legacy of unity, tradition, uplifting and modern development.
Sanwo-Olu commiserated with the people of Badagry and the Akran family of Badagry over the passing of the paramount ruler, noting his departure as a great loss to the traditional institution in the state.
Akran’s demise, The Guardian gathered, ended 48 years on the throne, becoming one of the longest-serving monarchs who have ruled any kingdom in the state.
Born on September 18, 1936, the fifth child of His Majesty, De WhenoAholu Ajiyon-Kanho, the 17th Akran of Badagry, His Majesty had his formal education at the Salvation Army Primary School, Lagos; Methodist School, Badagry, and Methodist Teachers’ College, Ifaki, Ekiti (1956–1957).
A royal figure of many parts, De WhenoAholu Menu-Toyi I taught at many schools in Badagry Division, but later went into journalism. His career as a practising journalist started in 1961 at the West African Pilot newspaper, serving as a diplomatic correspondent and chief reporter of the Post Group of Newspapers.
Thereafter, he joined the Daily Sketch as a senior sub-editor and later transferred to The New Nigerian newspapers as a senior journalist, becoming the Acting News Editor (South).
As a senior journalist, his outstanding performance earned him a grant from the International Press Institute (IPI) to study at the University of East Africa, where he obtained a diploma with distinction. He also shared a prize on the Law of the Press with another journalist from Uganda. His Majesty has continued to support the growth and development of journalism in Nigeria and other African states.
