Olubadan of Ibadanland Oba Olalekan Balogun has installed chairman of Erudite Group Saheed Oladele as the first Baàmeko of Ibadanland.
The ceremony, which was held over the weekend at the Olubadan’s palace, was attended by some members of the Olubadan-in-Council, family heads and friends of the new chief.
Oladele and his followers thereafter moved to his family compound located at Ile-Otun, Oje Igosun Area, where he met members of his family.
This was followed by a reception at Trenchad Hall, University of Ibadan (UI).
The reception featured the first Baameko Inter-University Oratory Contest titled “Nigeria’s educational system and the dilemma of meeting the 21st century global standards,” which had the University of Ilorin, UI, Ladoke Akintola University, Covenant University, Lagos State University, Federal University of Technology, Akure and Obafemi Awolowo University in attendance.
It also featured a quiz on Yoruba culture, Ibadan history and traditions.
Oladele noted that chieftaincy titles should not be seen as an avenue for personal aggrandisement but as a call to serve the people.
He said: “We believe now that a lot of people must have seen that chieftaincy titles should not just be an avenue for personal aggrandisement, a tool for oppressing people in your area or a tool for showing that you have arrived.
“To me, a prestigious title like this is a call to service, and I am ready to use this to give back to the people of Ibadan.
“We want to get out-of-school children back to school. Our government cannot do it alone.”
