Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse ll, has joined his ancestors.The foremost Yoruba monarch and flambouyant traditional ruler passed on at the age of 85 in a London hospital around 5pm on Tuesday.
The late monarch was said to have been flown out of the country through the Ibadan Airport, about five days earlier, in an Air Ambulance. He was said to be unconscious and in very critical condition. 
“Kabiyesi was flown out of the country about five days ago in an air ambulance. He was unconscious; his situation was critical.
A source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that “As a matter of fact, some people have been weeping in the palace since the weekend because of his situation when he was flown out from Ibadan in that air ambulance,” he said.
Palace sources on Tuesday night, declined to confirm the monarch’s transition, out of respect to custom and traditional issues, saying they did not want to be quoted on such issues.
Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was born on 1 January 1930. He became the fiftieth Ooni of Ife in 1980, taking the regnal name Olubuse II. He was crowned on 6 December 1980 in a high profile ceremony attended by the late Emir of Kano, Alh. Ado Bayero, late Oba of Benin, Oba Erediuwa as well as Amayanabo of Opobo and the then Olu of Warri, and representatives of the Queen of England.
The late monarch hailed from the Ogboru ruling house and was a grandson of the Ooni Sijuwade Adelekan Olubuse I. He began his education at Abeokuta Grammar School and Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife. He worked for three years in his father’s business, later spend another two years with the Nigerian Tribune, before attending Northampton College in the United Kingdom to study business management. At the age of 30 he was a manager in Leventis, a Greek-Nigerian conglomerate. In 1963 he became Sales Director of the state-owned National Motor in Lagos. After spotting a business opportunity during a 1964 visit to the Soviet Union, he formed a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria, which became the nucleus of a widespread business empire.
Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade joins ancestors
