As the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, celebrates his 82nd birthday today, the chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Adeolu Akande, has sent a congratulatory message to the foremost monarch.
Akande, in a statement by his media office, said that Oba Adeyemi is a repository of knowledge and that Africa, especially should be grateful for having a monarch like at this auspicious time.
According to him, “I have known Kabiyesi for close to three decades. As a reporter with the Nigerian Tribune, The Punch and Omega magazine, Kabiyeei would invite me and other reporters to the palace and engage us in intellectual discourse. We were privileged to drink from his deep intellectual stream. Any encounter with Kabiyesi is always an avenue to learn new things.
“Kabiyesi is a repository of knowledge. As it is said, he knows something about everything and everything about something. God has been kind to us to have allowed people like Oba Adeyemi ascend the throne at a very youthful age and for keeping him till this moment. He has never wavered in defending our culture and tradition.
“Ask Kabiyesi about tradition and culture, landmark events in the country, he would pour it without having to look elsewhere. At 82, he still reads, widely. He would engage you intellectually. His kind are rare. He would tell you when to eat and not, for healthy living. For those of us who are lucky to be close to Baba, we know what he is. I can safely call him a veteran of many successful wars. Yes, he is not a soldier but his interventions on many issues have yielded needed solutions.
“For almost five decades, he has continued to protect our common heritage. He has been a bridge builder and encyclopedia of some sorts. As Kabiyesi reaches 82, I can only pray 5hat God continues to preserve Baba in health and wealth,” Akande added.
