Chief Kayode Odunaro, the Baaroyin of Imalaland and Chief of Staff to Senator Solomon Adeola, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, is set to be installed as the Osorun of Isaga Orile, Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
According to a statement signed by Mr. Oseni Isola, Secretary of the Osorun Family, Isale Odofin, Isaga Orile, the installation ceremony will take place next weekend at Isaga Orile under the authority of His Royal Majesty, Oba Joseph Oladele Olusoji Tella, the Onisaga of Isaga Kingdom. The event will also feature the conferment of other traditional chieftaincy titles.
Mr. Isola said, “The Osorun Family across Ogun State and beyond unanimously nominated Chief Kayode Odunaro for the revered Osorun title, which has been vacant since 1988. His appointment was graciously accepted and approved by the Isaga Orile Traditional Council.”
He added that the forthcoming installation “will not only restore the ancient lineage of the Osorun title within the Odunaro family but also reaffirm the heritage of the Isaga people as one of the foundational kingmakers of the town.”
Chief Odunaro, who currently holds the titles of Baaroyin of Imalaland, conferred on him 19 years ago by Oba (Apostle) Adegboyega Olabode, the Omala of Imalaland, and Majeobaje of Olu Ilaro, bestowed by Oba (Dr) Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, will now assume a significant ancestral role as Osorun, one of the six kingmakers of Isaga Orile.
Speaking on the significance of the title, Mr. Isola explained that, “The Osorun title is a hereditary position reserved for members of the Osorun family of Isaga descent. It was last held by Chief Matthew Adisa Olojede Onifade, an uncle to Chief Odunaro, who was installed in 1958 and passed on in 1988.”
He further noted that the title, which originated from the Oyo Empire, “symbolizes authority, wisdom, and the continuity of the Isaga royal tradition.”
The statement recalled that following the pre-colonial Dahomean War, the people of Isaga Orile were dispersed into various settlements across Ogun and Lagos States as well as parts of the Benin Republic. “Despite the dispersal, Isaga Orile remains the ancestral home and root of all Isagas worldwide,” the family secretary said.
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