Oba Olu Falae, flanked by former Afenifere Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti and his wife, Olori Racheal Olatunbosun Falae
. Akeredolu says Falae’s reign as Oba will be a blessing to Ondo, Nigeria
By Banji Ayoola
Ex-Secretary to the Federal Government, former Minister of Finance, Afenifere chieftain and Baba Oba of Akure, former Chief Samuel Oluyemisi Falae, CFR, was today December 29, 2022 given the Staff of Office as the Oluabo of Ilu Abo Kingdom in Akure North Local Government of Ondo State by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
He was installed by the state government as the first Royal father of the ancient town on the border of Akure the state capital towards Owo Road.
While presenting the Staff of Office to the elderstatesman and a former Presidential Candidate, Akeredolu described Falae as one of the few highly reputable elderstatesmen not only within the State but in Nigeria at large.
The governor who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ale, noted that the presentation of the staff office was a long awaited victory and a big breakthrough for the entire people of Ilu-Abo and Ondo State as a whole.
He said: “What we are witnessing today is a big breakthrough. Out of all the Obas upgraded, Akure North has nine in all with Oba Samuel Oluyemi Falae as one of the beneficiaries.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell you that your appointment is divinely orchestrated.
“You have seen it all in the government civil service and I want to appeal to you to continue with your elder state-manship attitude as usual.
“The priority of this administration is the security of lives and properties; and we in government can be sure that with you as the Oba of Ilu-Abo, we have no worries as we are confident of your capability.
“Please note that government will not tolerate any incessant appointments of local chiefs by any traditional ruler outside his own jurisdiction.
“On this note, accept my hearty congratulations on your new office.”
In his acceptance speech, Oba Falae said he has been the Olu of Ilu Abo for the past seven years during which the community has witnessed tremendous progress.
His words: “I have been a servant king here, heartily serving the people. I usually grade this road every yyear.
“Ilu Abo is a big community and I will be grateful if the government can help us make this road more motorable for the good of all.”
In his speech at the occasion, former Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasanranti congratulated Falae and the entire Ilu Abo community as he observed that his coronation was a well deserved one.
He said: “Today’s occasion is indeed a memorable one and I want to wish the new monarch a peaceful reign. He is an elder states-man and one worthy of emulation.”
Dignitaries who spoke with reporters expressed their joy and satisfaction as they described the event as a welcome development saying Falae had been an Olu for several years.
They applauded Governor Akeredolu for upgrading Falae from Olu to an Oba as they advised him to continue his good way and relate effectively with government to bring infrastructural development to the community.
Those who spoke apart from Pa Fasoranti, include the Olu of Odin in Akure North, Jimoh Oluwadare; Chief Imam of Akure Kingdom Alhaji Abdul Hakeem Yayi Akoredea; Acting Chairman, Akure North Local Government, Anthony Adebusola; and the Asai of Ayeede community Prince Bobade Jolade.
Others include Oba Falae’s wife, Olori Racheal Olatunbosun, who is also the Iya ijo of St. David Cathedral Church, Akure; Attoney General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye Esq and Arch Bishop of Akure Anglican Diocese, Most Rev. Simeon Oluwole Borokini.
Present at the occasion were the Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi; Oba Samuel Aliu, Olumafo of Imafo; Alara of Ilara Mokin, Oba Aderemi Adefehinti; Akapinsa of Ipinsa, Oba Omoniyi Olufunmilayo; and Oba Oluwadare Agunbiade, Oloba of Oba Ile among other royal fathers.
Also at the event were a former Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Akogun Samson Sowore.
Born on 21 September 1938), Falae, a Nigerian banker, administrator and politician, was secretary to the military government of Ibrahim Babangida between January 1986 to December 1990, and was briefly the Finance Minister in 1990. He ran for president in Nigeria’s Third and Fourth Republics.
After his university education at the University of Ibadan and Yale College, with his bachelor’s degree in Economics, he joined the civil service as assistant secretary from where he rose in 1977 to the peak as Permanent Secretary (Economic dept), Cabinet office.
He left the civil service and was in 1981 appointed the Managing Director of Nigerian Merchant Bank (NMB).
Five years after, in 1986, he returned to public service with his appointment by Gen Babangida as Secretary to Government; during which he convinced government to reject the strangulating IMF economic restructuring proposal as a condition for external and instead implement loan from the fund; and implement the home grown Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), to diversify export from a crude oil dependent regime, ensure fiscal and balance of payments equilibrium and non-inflationary growth.
In 1990, he was appointed as Minister of Finance in the same military regime, and in August of that year, he left office and joined politics upon the planned disengagement from power by the military through the democratic transition programme towards anchoring Nigeria’s Third Republic.
Following the ban by Babangida of’old breed’ politicians, most of who had held elective offices iincluding the late Chief Bola Ige and Alhaji Lateef Jakande (former Governor of old Oyo, and Lagos States) Falae became the candidate of choice for followers of the legendary former Yoruba Leader, ex-Premier of the defunct Wetern Region, and ex-Leader of opposition in the First and Second Republics, and iconic politician, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and some progressives within the Social Democratic Party.
Falae contested for the post of the party’s Presidential Candidate but lost to the late Gen Shehu Musa Yar’Adua before the elections were cancelled; after which he threw his weight behind the presidential ambition of the late flamboyant, philanthropic, multimillionaire politician, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who later died in detention to which he was slammed by the military junta of Gen Sani Abacha for insisting on his popular mandate given him at the 1993 Presidential Election..
In the mid 1990s, following the cancellation of the June 12, 1993 and the coming to power of a new military government, Falae became a prominent member of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, during the quest for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.
He was jailed by the military government of Sani Abacha, but was released in June 1998 after Abacha’s death.
He unsuccessfully contested the 1999 Nigerian presidential elections on the joint platform of the Alliance for Democracy and the All People’s Party against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired General and the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party.
Falae swept the Southwest, and recorded appreciable votes in the other regions, but lost the election to Obasanjo.
Since then, he ha had been living in semi-retirement as a large scale farmer in Ago Abo.
He was given the national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic in 2008.
As of 2008, Falae was the protem Chairman of the Democratic Peoples Alliance, a progressive party allied with the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
On eptember 21, 2015, Falae was kidnapped on his farm on his 77th birthday, with the kidnappers demanding 100 million Naira ($500,000) as a ransom for his release.
Hewas ultimately released on the September 24, 2015, after the payment of the ransom and returned to his home in Akure.
Back-grounding materials were drawn from Wikipedia
