Awujale names Oloorogun Kuku new Ogbeni Oja

The Awujale and paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Ogun State, Oba Sikiru Adetona, has named the Co-chairman of the prestigious Eko Hospital, Lagos State,  Oloorogun (Dr) Sonny Kuku, as the new Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland.

Kuku confirmed the development to The PUNCH in a phone conversation on Monday night.

He said, “The information is correct and I want to say that I am highly humbled for being selected by our highly revered Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona.”

The Ogbeni Oja title is said to be the most prestigious chieftaincy title in the Royal Awujale Administration and the highest non-hereditary title an Ijebu can aspire to. He is the kingmaker.

Kuku is succeeding Chief Bayo Kuku, who died in 2015. Before Bayo Kuku an industrialist, Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola, occupied the position till he died in 1995.

Pressed further to confirm if the Iwuye ceremony would be done with his 80th birthday slated for January 3, the octogenarian said,  “That is most likely but we await His Royal Majesty’s convenience to fix the date. Yes, it is likely to be combined with the date it pleases HRM to fix.”

An earlier statement announcing the selection of Kuku said, “In the modern times, the highly accomplished Olor’ogun is the 3rd Ijebu Omoluabi to be so honoured after the legendary late Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola and the iconic Chief Bayo Kuku since the post became vacant in 2015.

“However, with the royal selection, the names of other prominent, distinguished and worthy Ijebu Omoluabi being speculated in the Ijebu public fora are now rested.

“The new Ogbeni Oja, who turns 80 years old on January 3, 2024,  is a legendary and highly distinguished personality from the illustrious Balogun Odueyingbo Kuku family of Ita Ntebo, Ijebu-Ode who has made indelible marks in the fields of medicine,  academics, business commerce, culture and tradition, particularly in the world-famous Ojude Oba festival.

“He is a master physician, an accomplished endocrinologist, a renowned scholar, administrator and entrepreneur par excellence. He is an ex-King’s College student and holds several degrees and fellowships in medicine, including two doctorates.

“He has been the Joint Chief Medical Director and Co-Chairman at the EKO Hospital (Ekocorp Plc), which he co-founded in 1978 and is the only quoted hospital in the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the first Federal Government-recognised private  tertiary  hospital.”