Renowned Nollywood actor and columnist Dele Sobowale has extended public birthday greetings to the Oba of Lagos, Alayeluwa Oba Rilwanu Babatunde Osuolale Akiolu I, highlighting the monarch’s recent act of generosity during a family medical emergency. In a tribute published by Vanguard News, Sobowale, who is also a relative by marriage to the Oba, described the intervention as a defining moment that reshaped his perception of the monarch’s character.
The Oba of Lagos, who also serves as the Permanent Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs, celebrated another birthday last week. Sobowale, a native of Lagos Island born in 1944, noted that his wife was the daughter of Chief Imam Isiaka Shittu, whose mother was a sibling to the Oba. The columnist stated that he has prayed for the monarch daily and expressed his respect for Akiolu’s leadership, which he believes has significantly transformed the safety and order of the Isale-Eko area where the Iduganran Palace is located.
Sobowale recounted a recent incident involving one of the Oba’s cousins who suffered a life-threatening health crisis and was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). The hospital requested a deposit described as "eight figures," a sum the extended family could not raise in time. In a moment of desperation, a delegation was sent to the Palace to seek assistance.
According to Sobowale, who was among the caregivers for the patient, Oba Akiolu responded immediately, sending the required funds to LASUTH in "less time than it has taken you to read this article," followed by additional money. Sobowale stated that this gesture, which he described as that of a "Good Samaritan," contradicted previous rumors that portrayed the Oba as ruthless or distant from his people.
“It is the part of a king to do good to his subjects and be maligned for it” – Alexander the Great, 356-323 BC, King of Macedonia.
The columnist noted that he had previously reserved judgment on the Oba’s leadership style, which he contrasted with that of his predecessor, Oba Adeyimika Oyekan II, a former pharmacist. Sobowale argued that Akiolu’s background as a police officer, rising to the rank of Assistant Inspector General, instilled a sense of discipline that transformed the formerly lawless areas of Lagos Island into safer communities. He concluded his tribute by wishing the Oba longer life and increasing prosperity, while noting that the monarch will mark 24 years on the throne and his 84th birthday in October 2027.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
