Abiodun, Adebutu mourn as Ogun monarch, Alaperu passes on

From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has described the transition of the Alaperu of Iperu-Remo, Oba Adeleke Adelekan Idowu-Basibo, as a deeply shocking and irreplaceable personal loss.

The royal father was reported to have died on Thursday. Abiodun, a prince of the Iperu-Remo kingdom, added that even though he was still trying to come to terms with the news of the passing of the royal father, he acknowledged the immutability of the counsel of Almighty God, whose decision on human life no mortal can question.

The governor described the late monarch as a royal father, friend, and confidant, saying he was devastated to learn of the sudden passing of the highly distinguished traditional ruler, whose reign brought peace and prosperity to the Iperu-Remo kingdom, Ogun State, and Nigeria as a whole.

He said: “To say the very least, Oba Adeleke Adelekan Idowu-Basibo was a paragon of excellence. From his primary education at St. James Primary School to his A-level programme at The Polytechnic, Ibadan; University College London, where he studied Marine Economics; the Diploma Programmes in Importing and Exporting at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos; and his PhD programme at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oba Adeleke Adelekan Idowu-Basibo demonstrated undiluted excellence, which also hallmarked his distinguished career at the Customs Service in Europe that spanned two decades.

“His reign brought remarkable progress and development to the Iperu-Remo kingdom in many areas, from infrastructure development to economic advancement and the expansion of the borders of peace and progress. He was a man of great grace who carried himself with dignity and saw to the well-being of his people at all times, regardless of creed or political affiliation. He will be sorely missed.”

Also, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, expressed condolences to the royal family, the people of Iperu-Remo, and the entire Remo Kingdom on the passing of the monarch. Adebutu, in a statement signed by his media aide, Afolabi Orekoya described the late monarch as a custodian of tradition and a beacon of wisdom.