Banji Alabi Pays Glowing Tribute to Olu of Ifoland, Oba Olumide Osunsina, on Presentation of Staff of Office

On the Occasion of the Presentation of His Staff of Office
By His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, Executive Governor of Ogun State
Friday, 13th November, 2026

Kabiyesi o

Ifo a gbe Oba titun :  Ifo a gbe Oba rere

Today, Ifo stands taller -The ancient stool is graced once again as His Royal Majesty, Oba Olumide Atanda Osunsina, Osomekun I, ascends the throne of his forebears

Formerly known and celebrated as Otunba Olumide Osunsina, his journey to the throne carries the weight of vision, service, and excellence-  A name long respected in Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Abuja, the United Kingdom and beyond, Otunba Osunsina built his reputation as one of the foremost real estate developers of our generation — transforming skylines, creating homes, and laying foundations not just in concrete and steel, but in communities and dreams

Now, as Oba, he brings that same builder’s spirit to his kingdom The man who spent years shaping cities now takes on the sacred task of shaping destinies –

The developer who understood the value of solid foundations now guards the foundation of culture, tradition, and unity for the people of Ifo

He ascends not just with a crown, but with a legacy of enterprise, integrity, and commitment to progress

THE KING THE STOOL WAITED FOR

Kabiyesi did not struggle for this stool -The stool searched for him

After the glorious reign of our beloved late father, Oba Samuel Atanda Oladipo Ayerowunwi (2005 – 2025), the kingmakers, the elders, the people of Ifo, and the Ogun State Government spoke with one voice In a transparent and historic screening at the Ifo Local Government Secretariat, Otunba Olumide Osunsina was unanimously elected as the next Olu of Ifoland

Unanimously Without rancour Without division

That is not politics That is destiny

He becomes the Third Olu of Ifoland — after Oba Gabriel Olu-Omo of Egba Gbagura, and Oba Samuel Ayerowunwi of Egba Oke-Ona

Now, from the Egba Ake ruling section, God has given us a King with a heart big enough for all of Nigeria

THE BUILDER WHO BECAME A KING

Long before he wore the crown, Kabiyesi was already building kingdoms

Kabiyesi was , educated at the famous Barewa College, Zaria and Abeokuta Grammar School, trained in Building Technology at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a Distinction in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, an MBA from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and an MSc in Real Estate from the University of Reading, UK — Kabiyesi is a king who came prepared

In 1992, he founded Megamound Investment Limited, and since 2000, as its Managing Director/CEO, he has nurtured it into a multi-billion Naira diversified institution with interests in Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Abuja and London

He did not just build houses He built cities

Carlton Gate Estate, Lekki Carlton Gate Estate, Akobo, Ibadan Carlton Gate Estate, Abeokuta Lekki County Homes County Apartments The KING Smart City — one of the proposed Artificial Islands in the Lekki Master Plan And through Supreme Core Developments UK Ltd in London, he carried the Nigerian dream to the United Kingdom and brought British standards back home

When others were afraid to invest in Ibadan, Kabiyesi went there and opened the eyes of Nigeria to its potentials When others said affordable luxury was impossible, he built 120 units of affordable luxury homes and proved that a working-class family could climb the property ladder

He was the first developer to sell townhouses for ₦10 million — houses that today sell for between N200M to ₦350 million, giving ordinary buyers bumper harvest appreciation – That is not just business That is empowerment

In doing so, he raised the bar in real estate development in Nigeria – He introduced professionalism, innovation, quality, safety, and integrity to an industry that desperately needed it — And in the process, he provided employment — directly and indirectly — for thousands, indeed millions of Nigerians — artisans, engineers, Lawyers, surveyors, architects, builders, drivers, security men, market women, young graduates who found their first jobs in Megamound

For this, the nation honoured him long ago: Agbaakin Bashorun of Ibadanland by the Olubadan, Asoju Oba of Ifoland, Asiwaju Bobagunwa of Egbaland, Bobaselu of Itireland, Otunba Loro of Ajiranland, and Head of the Real Estate Sector of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Today, all those titles have bowed to one greater title: KABIYESI

A KING OF COURAGE, PRINCIPLE AND FRIENDSHIP

Those of us who know Otunba Olumide personally know the man behind the empire:

A man of courage — who takes risks others fear, who stands when others run, who builds when others complain

A man of innovation — who is never satisfied with yesterday’s success, who is always asking, “What is next? What can we do better?”

A man of loyalty to principles — who does not bend with the wind, who keeps his word, who treats the poor and the powerful with the same dignity

A man of professionalism — who believes that if a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing excellently

A man of true friendship — who remembers his friends in good times and in bad, who lifts others as he rises, who never forgets where he came from

Kabiyesi, Ifoland has not just gained a King Nigeria has gained a Royal Father who will rule with wisdom, with vision, and with a builder’s heart

We celebrate a king who is both a custodian of heritage and a driver of modern progress — A monarch whose life already speaks of vision, and whose reign we pray will write new chapters of glory for Ifo , the Yoruba race and Nigeria as a whole

TO OUR QUEEN, OLORI DESIRE

Behind every great King is a great Queen

Permit me to specially celebrate Her Royal Majesty, Olori Desire Osunsina — our beautiful, gracious, and industrious Queen

From  the boardroom to the palace, Olori Desire has stood beside Kabiyesi as his wife, his partner, his strength, and his Executive Director at Megamound Properties Development Company

Together, they are not just husband and wife — they are a team, a vision, a real estate dynasty built on love, hard work, and mutual respect

Our Queen, you are the mother of the palace — You are the beauty of the throne —- You are the calm in the storm —- May your reign as Olori be long, peaceful, fruitful, and glorious

May God grant you wisdom like Queen Esther, grace like Queen of Sheba, and joy that never fades

We love you, Olori

TO THE ROYAL CHILDREN

To the lovely Princes and Princesses of Ifoland, we celebrate you today

In accordance with Yoruba culture, which forbids parading all the children of the King before the public, we shall mention only one to represent all — Princess Olamide, who stands as the worthy representative of all the Princes and Princesses of this great royal house

Princess Olamide, you were raised in honour, and today honour has come to your house

To all the Princes and Princesses, seen and unseen, mentioned and unmentioned — you are the pride of your father,   May you grow in wisdom

May you carry your father’s legacy with dignity

May your own children one day say, “Our grandfather was a King, and our father was a Kingmaker of destinies”

The Crown has come to your family to stay

MY APOLOGY — I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE

Kabiyesi, permit me to say this with a heavy heart:

I am deeply sorry that I am not physically present in Ifo today

I am currently out of town, and the invitation to this historic occasion reached me so very late — Had I received it in time, nothing on earth would have stopped me from being there — to kneel before you, to prostrate before the throne, to join the drummers, to dance with the people of Ifo

My body is far away, but my spirit is in Ifo today,   My heart is on that ground ,  My prayers are with you at every minute of this ceremony

Please accept this tribute as my presence,    Please accept my absence as a matter of distance and timing,

MY PLEDGE OF LOYALTY

Kabiyesi, today, before God and before all men, I pledge:

I, Banji Alabi Esq, pledge my loyalty to you and to the throne of Ifoland

My wife, Omolola Alabi, pledges her loyalty to you and to Olori Desire

My children pledge their loyalty to your Princes and Princesses

We are your subjects We are your sons and daughters We are your family – We are ONE

Wherever you call, we will answer

Whatever the kingdom needs, we will give

Whatever battle you fight for Ifoland, we will fight side by side with you from the front line

We will not be fair-weather loyalists

We will be with you in sunshine and in rain, in celebration and in challenge

MY CHARGE TO KABIYESI

Kabiyesi, permit your son to speak to you as a King speaks to a King

You have built estates Now, build men
You have built cities Now, build a kingdom
You have built houses Now, build hope

Let your track record continue to be that of justice and fair play to all manners of people — strong or weak

Let the rich not buy what the poor cannot get

Let the powerful not silence the voiceless

Let the palace be a place where the widow, the orphan, the farmer, the trader, and the stranger all find the same justice

Let no one in Ifoland say, “I was too small for Kabiyesi to see me”

Let everyone say, “Kabiyesi saw me Kabiyesi heard me Kabiyesi stood for me”

For Kabiyesi, true royalty is not in the gold on the crown True royalty is in the tears you wipe away

Your reward is in seeing smiles on the faces of the less privileged — the overwhelming majority of our people

When the market woman smiles because you gave her a stall, that is your reward

When the child smiles because you gave him a school, that is your reward

When the youth smiles because you gave him a job, that is your reward

When the old man smiles because you gave him dignity, that is your reward

Rule with justice, Kabiyesi

Rule with mercy

Rule with a father’s heart

If you do this, Ifoland will never forget you, History will never forget you And God will never forget you

A PRAYER FOR YOUR REIGN

May your reign be long, Kabiyesi

May your reign be peaceful

May Ifoland prosper under you as never before

May industries come to Ifo

May roads be built

May schools be raised

May youths find jobs

May the poor find hope

May you reign like Solomon in wisdom, like David in courage, like Hezekiah in faith

May Osomekun I be remembered as the King who turned Ifo into a city of gold

K’ade pe l’ori, ki bata pe l’ese

K’ase pe l’enu,

k’irukere pe l’owo

Igba Odun, Odun kan ni o, Kabiyesi

Kabiyesi o Oba alase

Long live His Royal Majesty, Oba Olumide Osunsina, the Oba of ifo

Long live Olori Desire

Long live the Princes and Princesses

Long live Ifoland

Long live Egbaland

Long live Ogun State

May your reign be long, peaceful, and filled with the blessings of heaven

With deepest respect, love, and unalloyed loyalty,

Signed: Sealed & Delivered

Banji and Omolola Alabi