By Wole Adedeji; Ilorin
The Elerin of Erin-Ile in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba AbdulGaniyu Olusokun II, MFR, who for decades was the patron of the Kwara State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, is dead.
The monarch, who died at the age of 81 years, ascended the throne of his forefathers at the age of 40, in 1983, and ruled for 41 years.
He was generally reverred by his subjects, who often credit him for associating his reign with steady development of Erin-Ile and the bold efforts he made to stamp the relevance of the sleepy community in the state as a Yoruba town, including getting the stool to be upgraded to first class status in Kwara.
In his condolence message, released by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaiye, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, described the demise of the traditional ruler “as the end of a fine era.”
The governor extolled Oba Olusokun as a great leader of his people, under who Erin-Ile recorded many developmental strides.
He said, “I send our heartfelt condolences to the immediate and extended families of the late first class monarch as well as the good people of Erin-Ile and Oyun Local Government Area on this sad development. We are comforted by the great legacies of the monarch.
“Our prayers are with the family and the good people of the community at this time and always. We pray Allah, exalted is He, to grant Al-jannah to the Elerin of Erin Ile and comfort his family.”
Also, Kwara SWAN, in a statement signed by its chairman and assistant secretary, Ismail Ayodeji and Sodiq Adebara respectively, said that he death of Oba Olusokun threw the sporting fraternity in Kwara State and the country at large into a deep mourning.
The death was also described as a huge loss to sports, the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, as the first class monarch, while alive, was a big pillar of the sporting confraternity, gracing many of SWAN’s functions.
The statement said,
“The death of our royal father is a great loss to the SWAN because of his various contributions in uplifting the association in her drive to develop sports in the state.”
They commiserated with the Kwara State governor, Mallam AbdulRazak, pointing out that the death of the royal father would create a vacuum in the state, especially among the royal fathers; praying God to grant the deceased Aljannat-ul-Firdouz and give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.
