The remains of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Ado Ibrahim, were buried on Sunday in his hometown, Okene, Kogi. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the body of the supreme ruler was handed over to Mother Earth according to Islamic rites. around 8.40 p.m.
The Secretary of the Ebiraland Traditional Council, Salihu Sule, explained that the burial could not take place earlier due to unforeseen problems as the body left Abuja late and arrived in Okene at around 6.45pm.
“Upon arrival, there was a family meeting held before final internment according to Islamic rites,” Sule said.
The Chief Imam of Ebiraland, Sheikh Salihu Ebere, who led the funeral rites and prayers for the repose of the soul of the late Ohinoyi, prayed to God to forgive the royal father his sins.
The cleric said that since death is inevitable, all humans should be aware of it and live a loving, peaceful and God-fearing life.
In his remarks, Godwin Oyibo, National Chairman, Ebira Development Association, described the death of the paramount ruler as shocking and very painful.
“With pain in our hearts, we have just buried the remains of our leader and father, who died in the early hours of Sunday in a hospital in Abuja.
“Giving his corpse to Mother Earth is very painful and incredible.
“I’ve never been so close to someone who suddenly isn’t there anymore. It has never happened to me until now. He is the type of person one would not want to part with.
“I have worked closely with him for three years and he was a wonderful leader. It has shown me that leadership is not about holding the position, but about making an impact.
“It’s unfortunate that he’s going to be sorely missed,” Oyibo said.
Present at the funeral were the sons and daughters of Ebiraland, the Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, the Attah of Igala, His Royal Highness Matthew Opaluwa and other royal fathers of Kogi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late Ohinoyi of Ebiraland was born on February 7, 1929 and was the fourth traditional ruler and Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.
He was the son of the second Attah (now “Ohinoyi”) of Ebiraland, Ibrahim Onoruoiza of the Omadivi clan, who reigned from 1917 to 1954.
Ibrahim was enthroned as Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in 1997 and reigned until Sunday, when he died.
Before ascending the throne, he was a successful businessman who lived most of his life in Lagos.
His parents are His Royal Highness, Ibrahim Onoruoiza Attah and Hauwawu Ozianuva.
Young Ado Ibrahim completed his early childhood and Quranic education at the age of 11.
He was enrolled at the Okene Native Administration School from 1934 to 1940 for his primary education. Upon completion of his primary education, he was admitted to Okene Secondary School in 1941.
After spending two years, he moved to the famous Ondo Boys High School for his secondary education from 1943 to 1946. From 1947 to 1949, he moved to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, Osun, where he completed his secondary education.
He was hired by the United African Company (UAC) in 1950 as a special participant for accelerated management.
Having successfully passed through the Accounting and Sales Department in 1952, he was promoted to the position of Manager at Kingsway Stores, Kaduna.
In January 1953, he left Kingsway Stores and moved to Jos as Personnel Manager of Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria Limited, in charge of maintaining the Bukuru and Barkin Ladi operating areas.
That same year he attended the first Mining School in Jos and qualified as a Mining Prospector and Area Manager.
Later that year, the company sent him to an additional technical training course, organized by the Anglo-American Mining Corporation, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Upon his return, he was immediately promoted to Area Manager and given responsibility for excavating the lead/zinc ore deposits at Izom in Abuja District and leading a gold and base materials prospecting team at the site.
Meanwhile, he had enrolled in 1952 as an external candidate for a degree at the London School of Economics, using the external study facilities arranged by the British Council in Jos.
He successfully combined his mining and prospecting duties with the university curriculum and earned a bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the London School of Economics in 1954.
In 1955, he won a sponsorship from the Ford Foundation to take a six-month course in Marketing and Business Strategy at Harvard Business School.
Thanks to his performance, he was readmitted to the school’s Master’s Program as a full-time student. He thus obtained the famous MBA from Harvard in 1959.
Having fortified himself with practical industrial experience and a strong academic background, he married Miss Abimbola Solomon on 1 November 1959.
(YAYA)
