07/01/2023
REMEMBERING MY GRANDAD OBA ALADESANMI II (The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti 1937 TO 07-01-1983) The late Oba Anirare Aladesanmi II, like all true Patriots, contributed to the political development of Western Nigeria and the entire Nigeria.Evidence of his role in the conference of Yoruba Obas, Western Regional House of chiefs, the verious constitutional conferences, and the libration struggle are there for all to see. The Ewi became a permanent member of the conference of Yoruba Obas in 1943 thus becoming one of the Big six - with the Ooni of Ife, Alafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin, Alake of Abeokuta and Awujale of Ijebu-Ode. In 1947,he began to represent Ekiti at the Western House of Assembly and was elected as the Ekiti Head chief in the Western House of Chiefs in 1951. In that position, he started to attend the meetings of the Western legislature in January 1952. In 1959, he became one of the ex-officio members of the Western House of chiefs and was elected President of the August House of chiefs in September 1960. For all his royal importance and the fact that he as a person and his office. the Ewi, had become generally and officially recognized as first among equals,he was made a first-class Oba and later in 1976 elected as the first-ever President of the Ondo State Council of chiefs. The political stature he acquired over the years since 1953, is another story of personal achievement. In the second week of January that year, he was on the delegation of five Obas of the Western Region viz: Oba Ademola, the Alake, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni, Oba Adele of Lagos, Oba Olagbegi the Olowo and Oba Aladesanmi II who went to Lagos to meet the Governor, Sir John MacPherson to settle the conflict between him and the Action Group, the political party in power in the region. Later in February, the Ewi moved the motion on the Native Court Ex*****on Bill. He was profusely congratulated on this account by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the premier (Daily Times Monday February 23rd,1953).
