Badagry Kingdom has inaugurated a 51-member Central Planning Committee to organise the final funeral rites of the late monarch, His Imperial Majesty, De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I, the Akran of Badagry Kingdom.
The committee was formally inaugurated at the Akran Palace and is mandated to plan and deliver a befitting, dignified, and state-level funeral ceremony in honour of the revered traditional ruler.
Its membership cuts across the Lagos State Executive and Legislative arms, local governments, traditional institutions, religious bodies, the private sector, and notable Badagry indigenes, reflecting broad inclusiveness and collective ownership.
The committee is chaired by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, with Mr. Jimi Ahisu serving as Co-Chairman.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe, thanked members for accepting the call to serve, noting that the diversity and calibre of the committee underscore unity and shared responsibility.
He expressed confidence that the committee would deliver a funeral ceremony befitting the stature and legacy of the late monarch.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Kayode Bolaji Roberts, charged members to approach the assignment with utmost seriousness and dedication.
He urged them to plan the rites as if organising the burial of their own biological father, stressing that the late Akran deserved a funeral marked by excellence, dignity, and meticulous planning.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Co-Chairman Mr. Jimi Ahisu described the opportunity to serve as a rare privilege and appealed to members to eschew politicisation of the funeral rites.
He noted that the late Akran was a father to all and a symbol of peace, unity, and stability in Badagry Kingdom and beyond, assuring stakeholders of a collaborative and conscientious process.
Members of the Lagos State Executive Council on the committee include Mr. Kayode Bolaji Roberts and the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Mr. Ibrahim Layode.
Legislative members include Mr. Sesi Whingan; Mr. Solomon Bonu, representing Badagry Federal Constituency; and Mr. Setinji David, representing Badagry Constituencies I and II at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Also included are the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe; the Chairman of Olorunda LCDA, Mr. Ajose Peter Kumayon; and the Chairman of Badagry West LCDA, Mr. Rauf Ibrahim Yemaren, alongside council managers and treasurers.
Prominent Badagry indigenes on the committee include Mr. Samuel Mawuyon Ajose (SMA Gold), DCG Biodun Hundeyin (Rtd.), veteran journalist Chief Sewhude Adeyinka Amosu, and retired Permanent Secretary Chief Dr. Olaide Mesewaku.
Members of the Akran Royal Family represented include Prince Seyon Akran, Princess Senami Akran, Princess Medeyonmi Akran, and Princess Elizabeth Akran.
Traditional institutions are represented by the Aholu of Yafin, Aholu of Akarakumo, White Cap Chiefs including Possu and Finhento, and the Depegan of Badagry, alongside representatives of traditional worshippers, Christian, and Muslim communities, further underscoring the committee’s broad-based and inclusive composition.
The inauguration officially signals the commencement of arrangements for the final funeral rites of His Imperial Majesty, De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I, whose reign and enduring legacy remain deeply etched in the history and cultural identity of Badagry Kingdom.
Reporting by Pentho Francis