The Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has described the demise of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, as the end of another era in Yoruba history.

 In a statement issued by the state government in Ibadan on Thursday, Ajimobi said the death of the revered monarch was very unfortunate and disheartening.

He described Oba Sijuwade as a monarch, who used his reign to ensure the unity of the Yoruba race.

Ajimobi also praised the late monarch for his commitment to the sustenance of cultural heritage in the country.

He said, “The death of our revered monarch came to me as a rude shock. He will forever be remembered as a monarch, who rewrote the history of the Yoruba race for good.

 “He was an advocate of peaceful co-existence, irrespective of religious and ethnic colourations.

“How I wish he lived longer with us. His opinions were always sought for and could not be discountenanced by stakeholders.”