25th August 2025
By Peter Omopo
Olubadan-designate and former Oyo State Governor, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has called on Ibadan Mogajis (compound heads) and community leaders not to abandon their ancestral homes but to make them more habitable for future generations.
Ladoja gave the charge on Sunday while receiving hundreds of Mogajis at his Bodija residence, where they gathered to congratulate him on his emergence as the next Olubadan.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, the monarch-in-waiting lamented that many compound heads had neglected their family compounds despite having the financial capacity to support grassroots development.
“Many Mogajis now reside in highbrow areas like Bodija, Oluyole, Iyaganku, Jericho, and Akobo, or even outside Ibadan and Nigeria, where life is more comfortable. Some have not convened family meetings in years to discuss developmental activities since they received their chieftaincy titles,” Ladoja said.
He stressed that being a Mogaji or chief was a responsibility, not just a title, urging them to positively impact the younger generation by maintaining close ties with their ancestral homes.
“A Mogaji should not abandon his family house. By occasionally residing there and renovating dilapidated structures, you will inspire the younger ones and help curb social vices such as drug abuse,” he added.
Ladoja also revealed that he had renovated his own family house at Isale Osi, which he intends to visit regularly after his coronation.
Leader of the Ibadan Mogajis, Asimiyu Ariori, congratulated Ladoja on his elevation, commending his foresight and pledging the loyalty and cooperation of compound heads to his reign. He prayed for the monarch-designate’s long life and successful rule.
