- Safiu Kehinde
The Ilara kingdom in Epe area of Lagos State is set for a major celebration as it prepares to mark the fifth coronation anniversary of its traditional ruler, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo.
This was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Organising Committee for the anniversary.
The monarch will be five years on the throne by the middle of August.
In celebration of the king who had reportedly brought joy, peace and significant development to the kingdom, the organising committee dicosed that a three-day programme has been formally released and will run between August 15 and 17th, 2025.
According to the statement, the anniversary will be flagged off on Friday August 15th with a two-pronged activity: an empowerment and free medical outreach for Kabiyesi’s Ilara subjects in the morning, as well as Jumat service in the afternoon.
The main coronation anniversary day is slated for Saturday August 16th at the Palace in Ilara.
Key highlight of the day will be the conferment of honorary chieftaincy titles on seven deserving individuals and couples whose contributions to the development of Ikara Kingdom is immeasurable and who are therefore being installed in commemoration of Alara of Ilara’s fifth anniversary.
The designated chiefs to be honoured are: Prof. John Oladapo Obafunwa, who will be decorated as the Balogun of Ilara Kingdom; Surveyor Jelili Kolawole Olayemi, who will be installed as Olotu of Ilara Kingdom and Prof. Kemi Pinhero, who will be honoured as the Baamofin of Ilara Kingdom.
Others include Ambassador Oluwatoyin Lawal and Mrs Abiodun Lawal who will be installed as Bobagunwa and Yeye Bobagunwa of Ikara Kingdom as well as Dr. Olanrewaju Obasa as Otunba Bobaseye of Ilara Kingdom.
The rest are Chief Akinyele Oladeji and Mrs Toyin Oladeji who will be installed as Ashipa and Yeye Ashipa of Ilara Kingdom; while Barrister Rotimi Edu and Mrs Olayemi Edu will both be honoured with the chieftaincy titles of Otunba Jokotade and Yeye Otunba Jokotade of Ilara Kingdom.
The fifth coronation anniversary will be rounded off on Sunday 17th with a thanksgiving service scheduled for the Immaculate Cinception Catholic Church in Ilara Epe, which will then be followed by a royal banquet to celebrate a king whose steps are quite pleasing to all and sundry within his domain.
As profiled in the statement, the thorough-bred and well-read monarch, Oba (Dr.) Olufolarin Ogunsanwo served Lagos State for many years as a finance and tax expert in the public sector before capping his meritorious service as the Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).
Since his coronation as Oba Alayeluwa the Alara of Ilara Kingdom in the year 2020, Kabiyesi Ogunsanwo has brought his wealth of experience, wide network and influence to bear in the welfare of his people and the development of his kingdom in general.