The shocking news of the death of our Chairman, Chief Ezekiel Olalekan Ogundimu, came as a bolt. The Oba Tejuoso, Karunwi III Foundation whose Board of Directors he chaired since 2007, has indeed lost a gem. He brought his wealth of professional experience as an accountant to the foundation and evolved a veritable economist profile to all the projects of the foundation.
His death is a great loss to the entire Oba Karunwi III, Osile of Oke Ona Egba Foundation, in particular, and the entire Oke Ona Egba community, in general.
Chief Olalekan Ogundimu identified himself since his childhood and youthful years with our Kabiyesi Alaiyeluwa, Oba Dr. Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, Karunwi III, Oranmiyan, Osile Oke Ona Egba. He was his brother, friend, confidant and more.
They were both school mates at the famous Abeokuta Grammar School, co-tenants as foreign students for many years in Great Britain where their friendship developed deeper and blossomed into lifelong association.
Coming on the heels of his exploits as a Rotarian district governor for District 9110 of the Rotary International, he became an indefatigable, indispensable, and a no-nonsense administrator.
In his words, “there is only one human institution or organisation whose operations that I cannot boast of. That is the traditional institution of obaship.”
But trust him, he underrated his own prowess and acumen; ever since the coronation of His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr. Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, Karunwi III, Oranmiyan, Osile Oke Ona Egba, Lekan has claimed the title of sole historian and chronicler of kabiyesi alaiyeluwa. In conjunction with Kabiyesi, Chief Ogundimu produced so many books on him, on Oke Ona Egba and Egba historical developments.
He wrote prolifically as an insider, a God-gifted accountant turned historian-cum-evangelist. As for his knowledge about the “traditional institution of obaship, he knew enough about Egba history to bag the title of Lukosi of Igbein Christians, Akingbotun of Oke Ona Egba and from his home base the Maiyegun of Igbein (Tile t’oko, ati Hun ati hen), which was bestowed on him by His Royal Majesty, Oba Alaiyeluwa, Dr. Festus Makinde, the Olu of Igbein. In some quarters, he was controversial. In others, he was as the title book suggests, championing a course in search of justice for all Egba descendants of Oduduwa.
After Kabiyesi became a royal majesty, he conferred on him the title of Akigbotun of Oke Ona Egba, because he had been there for Oba Tejuoso through thick and thin, through his foreign sojourn and throughout his Ipebi days. No one else would know Kabiyesi better as the chairman of the foundation.
He indeed was his right hand man. His place would be difficult to fill.
Our prayer is that the almighty God, father of us all, author and finisher of our faith and destiny would comfort his wife, the entire Ogundimu family, and our foundation.
May our Kabiyesi remain under the shadow of the Almighty to live long and may his reign continue to flourish and impact positively over his kingdom and Egbaland.
We, the remaining board members, commiserate with Kabiyesi and say: “A kuayo Baba. Odun a jina s’ara won”.
Chief Dr S.O.T Jiboku
Executive Secretary, Oke-Ona Egba Dynasty Trust Foundation
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