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Reveals His Father’s Last Wish
In an exclusive interview with City People Editor ,WOLE ALAKIJA, Biliaminu Faronbi, the first son of late Chief Taoreed Faronbi aka Baba Alado, opened up on his father’s final instructions, his mentorship and the lesson that defined his life.
Standing, while staring at his father’s grave in the family Isheri residence, where Islamic clerics had just finished reciting Quranic verses for the repose of his father’s soul, Biliaminu looked calm but heavy with responsibility as the new head of the Faronbi household.
He had just buried his father on Saturday, September 26, 2026, after the 83-year-old grassroots leader died in the early hours of that day.
“Burying my father was the hardest thing I have ever done,” he began by telling City People. “But we found comfort because we fulfilled his greatest wish.”
According to Biliaminu, Baba Alado had for years told his children where he wanted to be laid to rest.
“One of my father’s greatest wishes was to be buried near the grave of his late Mum, Alhaja Ajimoh Gbadamosi Akinyemi Faronbi,” he revealed.
“My grandmother,who was also popularly called Mama Alado in her time died at the age of 105 and was everything to my father. He loved that woman to bits. He always told us, ‘When I die, don’t take me anywhere, bury me close to my mother at our family compound in Isheri-Osun, where I can be near her.”
Biliaminu disclosed that Baba Alado was emphatic on this. “He built houses, he gave us houses, but he warned us sternly, ‘Don’t bury me in any of your houses,don’t take me to Mushin, don’t take me to Isolo, don’t take me to any Estate. Bury me beside my mother in Isheri. That is where I will rest well.’ And that is exactly what we did on Saturday, when he died. He is lying right now beside Alhaja Foronbi, as he wanted.”
“My Father is also the oldest Prince from the Foronbi Ruling House in Isolo and his mother’s family side too, before his death”. The decision, he said, ended any speculation about where the influential omo onile leader would be buried.
Beyond land and titles, Olori Ebi of Alagbeji Royal Family, Akinrogun of Isolo Kingdom, Babaloja of Aswani Market , Baba Alado’s greatest legacy to his first son was mentorship.
“My father mentored me with one phrase all my life, ‘Billy, avoid trouble,’” he said, smiling for the first time.While growing up,he would call me and say, ‘You are my first son, you must not make trouble. Power is not in fighting, power is in settling fights.’”
Biliaminu said his father taught him that the real power is not in disrupting development, but in ensuring peace for development to happen.”That advice kept me out of trouble.My father was one person who also loved having people around him.Politicians come to him if they needed anything.He used his personal money. During the installation of Obas, he would buy Cows and give out to them plus cash gifts.He played key roles”.
As the first son, Biliaminu is now expected to step into some of his father’s traditional and family roles. He said he is ready and has committed everything to God.
As the first son,you have automatically taken over as (Olori-ebi) family head and you are going to be controlling a large family with several interests,how do you plan to navigate this onerous task ahead?
“I have put everything before God, my father has taught me integrity and by God’s grace ,there won’t be fights. All my brothers and Sisters abroad,we have had several meetings where we disagreed and agreed on several issues before we came to a conclusion,for instance,some of them wanted the family to shift the 8 days firdaus to a single and more elaborate 41 days event, saying our father is not just an ordinary person for just an 8-days ceremony.After we argued back and forth,it was agreed that we would do both the 8 days and 41 days ceremonies so as to capture a large family like ours.We also consulted the Kabiesi Osolo and other traditional chiefs before we came to a logical conclusion.
As the 3-day prayer ended with clerics offering Du’a for Al-Jannatul Firdaus, Biliaminu stood to greet the stream of NURTW members, property players and well-wishers still trooping into his late father’s Isheri house.
Your father fought many battles while alive…”Yes he did,there is no way human beings would not have enemies.Right now,he’s gone,they should all mellow down, you can’t fight the dead,they should allow him rest”.
Wole Alakija
08055001823
