Nigeria: Olubadan Of Ibadan Marks His Centenary Birthday In Ibadan

by Benson Agoha

The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Dr. Samuel Odulana Odugade, The First, has turned 100.

He marked his centenary birthday scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday in Ibadan, which was literary shut down, as his 'subjects' rejoiced and celebrated with him.

* President Goodluck Jonathan makes a speech as the Monarch, seated on his throne, listens.

The Olubadan of Ibadan is regarded as a unique monarch, but President Goodluck Jonathan could only visit on Tuesday, owing to the devastating bomb blast at a bus station located on the outskirts of Nigeria's Capital, Abuja.  The blast killed 72 persons and destroyed 16 luxury buses and 24 mini buses.

* Crowned Cake: President Jonathan and others clap as the Monarch, atired in a flowing golden 'agbada' reaches to cut his birthday cake in Ibadan, Nigeria on Wednesday April 15, 2014. 

According to Reuben Abati, Presidential on Media and Publicity, President Jonathan arrived in Ibadan on Tuesday to pay homage to the Olubadan who clocked 100 years on Monday.

But reaction from Nigerian's over the President's visit to the Olubadan wore discordant tones. One tweeted "This visit for me is too early after the incident of yesterday," adding "May God be with us all." Another wrote "200 school girls kidnapped! And your president is partying? If his daughter was among those girls, will be in Ibadan today?"

But another wrote cynically "Our president is a ceremonial head of state. He loves ceremonies and can't stay away from them."

Yet another was more confrontational to Abati saying "you're a beast for tweeting ds stupid pics when y'all shud be holed up in Aso-Rock confronting d terror menace."

The president's visit to Ibadan followed a new assault on a female hostel during which a reported 100 girls were abducted on Tuesday.  The figure was later upgraded to 200 girls and came only a day after the Nyanya blast killed 72 at a bus station.

But despite the bomblast and terror attacks, President Jonathan declared during a visit to Nigeria's Northern city of Kano on Monday that "Terror will not stop this country from moving forward".

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* Photo Credit: Reuben Abati