Oore of Otun in the Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, tells ABIODUN NEJO that traditional institutions should be organised in a way to have roles to play for the peace and development of the town
What kind of childhood did you have?
My father, Prince Samuel Adebowale Adeagbo, was my greatest benefactor apart from God almighty. He was a retired senior executive in UAC before he went into politics in 1979 under the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria and was an ardent follower of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He served from 1979 to 1983 as vice-chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Transport. I called him my benefactor because he ensured that I had qualitative education. I went to All Saints Primary School, Jericho, Ibadan, from 1975 to 1980, where I obtained the School Leaving Certificate. I went to the International School, University of Ibadan, from 1980 to 1985, and stayed there for the Advanced Level from 1985 to 1987. I gained admission to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, to study Economics from 1987 to 1991. In 1991, I was posted to Warri, in the then Bendel State for the NYSC (National Youth Service Corps mandatory one year service).
While growing up, did your parents give you any treatment to indicate you would one day become an oba?
I am the last born. We were three boys from my mother. My first brother is Prince Akinloye Adeagbo, followed by Prince Adedayo Adeagbo, a British-American author, based in the US. I am the last born. Our father never gave us any sign; he only gave us good education and he said we should make friends, be humble and disciplined. I didn’t even know that I was a prince and he never told us anything; he only advised us to be hardworking, consistent in character, have integrity, disciplined and be lovers of people.
All along, while growing up, did anything happen that showed you would become a king?
There was nothing like that. I had no premonition of becoming a king.
Where did you work and what kind of treatment did you receive from your colleagues?
After the compulsory national service in Warri, I stayed back there in the Niger Delta for close to 20 years. I worked in Sekelewu, Ogbudugbudu, Forcados, Escravos, Sagbama, Nembe, Okrika, Onne etc communities in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states and it opened my eyes to the different cultures of Nigeria. I think this today is an advantage to me on the throne of my forefathers.
Specifically, what were you doing during your working career?
I had my national service in a services company with Shell Petroleum Development Company. At that time, Shell was the biggest international oil company. It gave me exposure to Nigeria Agip Oil, Mobil Producing and Total. I stayed there for about 20 years for dredging and construction. What we normally did was that we opened the pipelines; from every pipeline that brings oil to the terminal, we had to dredge so that vessels could have access to the production platforms, and from there, they can carry oil to the terminals. So, by virtue of my experience, I was working in a dredging company, I was able to know that as road is to land, that is how dredging is to the waterways. If they don’t dredge the waterways, there will be no access and there will not be transportation of crude oil from the production platforms to the terminals.
That was the exposure I had and that gave me access to a lot of knowledge in the oil and gas industry. Today, I can call myself an oil and gas expert and I was able to know that the Niger Delta is critical to the development of this great nation.
As a dredging and oil and gas expert, how was it like leaving that comfort zone for the throne?
I think it is quite complementary and it helps the throne. My training has been very complementary. I am a member of the World Dredging Association in America, I am a member of the Dredging Association in Nigeria and I have been able to know different cultures and these have aided me in what I am doing today on the throne as Oore of Otun and paramount ruler of Mobaland with 13 kingdoms.
How did your wife and children receive the news of your selection as an oba?
My wife took it wholeheartedly. It is a call to service. Royalty is service to humanity and that is what we are doing today. We want to be sure that our community becomes better, the rural areas must be better, our sons and daughters must come home, we must collaborate and we must join hands together to make this town a great town.
What was your journey to the throne like?
We have five ruling houses for this ancient stool of over 500 years. They are Ile Oba Jeu, Ile Itun, Ile Imoro, Ile Imoya and Ile Iya Aba. There has never been any rancour, fight or court case on how the Oore stool is filled when it is vacant. From these five houses, what we do is to rotate. After my predecessor, Oba Adedapo Popoola, went to be with his ancestors in 2019, there was an order from the state government that it was the turn of the next ruling house, Ile Iya Aba, to produce the next Oore. I was based in Canada with my family and I shuttled between Canada and Nigeria as a dredging and construction expert. I was asked to submit my name, which I did, and we were six contestants from the Ile Iya Aba Ruling Family.
The Elerebi said anybody who was interested in becoming the king should sign an expression of interest form, which the six contestants signed to show commitment and that we were really interested to become kabiyesi. Our names were sent to the kingmakers, who followed the tradition, which was to use the Ifa oracle. To the glory of God, I was abroad when my name was announced as the new Oore of Otun Ekiti. My name was then sent to the Moba Local Government Area Traditional Council, then to the Chairman of the local government, chieftaincy bureau and to the State Executive Council before the governor made the announcement, and ultimately the then governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, handed over the staff of office to me.
How has the last three years on the throne been?
I will say kingship is a divine purpose with a lot of sacrifice. As a king, you are the custodian of culture, history and tradition. The job of the king is to talk about the past, talk about the present and package the present for the future so that generations yet unborn will know the importance of the entire Oduduwa race and know their identity as noble sons and daughters of Otun Ekiti. I always tell people that culture is very important and identity is important. Your culture determines your progress in life. No matter your educational level, no matter the amount of wealth you have, your identity and your culture are very important. Your culture even enhances your religion whether you are a Muslim, Christian or a traditionalist; it gives you more capacity to express yourself as a person.
What have you attracted to the community?
Only a few days ago, a letter came from the Seventh Day Adventist Church with headquarters in Maryland, USA, that they want to establish a college of nursing here. The first college of nursing that they established was in 1944 in Ile-Ife during the time of Oba Titus Tadenikawo Aderemi, the then Ooni of Ife. Efforts are already on for the world class college of nursing in Otun Ekiti. To the glory of God, we have installed a lot of chiefs. We have been up and doing since day one. All our activities from the day I ascended the throne on May 27, 2020, have been archived in the cloud. We believe that monarchy is responsibility, communication is key. We are very transparent; we let people know what we are doing.
What has the throne deprived you of?
A lot! As we have assets, so also we have liabilities. One of the strongest ones is that I cannot see my mother physically, which is very deep because everything that I am today, it is because of my mum. The stool does not allow me to see her physically, but I can talk to her every day. It is an undiluted and very strong tradition. I cannot eat anyhow, I cannot eat publicly, most of the time, I am fasting and praying because I cannot eat within the day; I cannot make friends anyhow. It is a position of self-denial, but I am not complaining because my ancestors are assisting me. I pray with my ancestors every five days; I communicate with all the previous Oores; I talk to them one on one, and they talk to me; they guide me and the almighty Eledumare is my supporter. It is a privileged position, but it has to do with a lot of sacrifice.
And what are the taboos of the community?
Otun is a spiritual town. Like I said, it is an ancient town of over 500 years. We have a lot of taboos; first and foremost, we have a spiritual tree in our palace called, Igi Okikan, which is dreaded, because anybody that holds it and gives false testimony or lies gets instant judgment. Once a person holds that tree and confesses and does not do the right thing, within seven days, the person will die. So, the taboo is that you don’t come to the palace and tell lies. Nobody curses here because the ancestors are here in the palace. Everything you say is sanctioned. So, we only pray for people here. One of the taboos is that you must not come to the palace and lie. We have our supreme court here, our supreme court here is not like the normal Supreme Court; it’s instant judgment. There is no appeal, the person gets the judgment. When they ask you to go and hold the tree in the oba’s palace over a matter, it becomes another thing because once you lie there, in seven days, the person won’t be seen again. It is a taboo. This is a town of honesty and purity.
Why the Oloore Odua title and what is the place of Otun in Ekiti and Yorubaland?
The meaning of Oore of Otun Ekiti is Oloore Oduduwa (Oduduwa’s benefactor). Our predecessors came from Okun, Okun Moba far away in Lagos. That is why they call us Omo Olokun and that is why we pray here continually with water. Water is life, water is prosperity, and water is grace. Without water, without rain, farm crops cannot grow. After we came to Ife, Oduduwa was blind at a particular point in time, and Oore brought water to cleanse his eyes and immediately Oduduwa began to see and he said, ‘My brother, Omo Olokun, stay with me’, but Omo Olokun said no, because we work with Ifa oracle. Oduduwa said, ‘If you (Omo Olokun) cannot stay, I love you so much, and I will call you ‘Oloore mi’ (my benefactor) because of what you have done to me’.
The Otun kingdom was established by the Ifa oracle. That is our comparative advantage as a kingdom and it has never failed us. This is our traditional strength. It is that Oloore that over the years became Oore of Otun Ekiti. Today, there is a link between Ife Ooni and Otun Oore, it is a spiritual link. I cannot betray the Ooni, it is a covenant.
What major festivals do you have in Otun Ekiti and what are the benefits?
We have about 12 festivals here that are very germane. We have the Urere festival, which is for princes (Omowa) of our community. We believe that when it is the turn of any ruling house, it is a right blooded prince that becomes the oba. We have a traditional sacrifice and that is why it is number one. Then we have Atapo, Orogbo, Odun ijesu and Otun nki Oore, Moba n ki Oore all together. Then, there is the Ifa Aba festival. This community is strongly embedded in the foundation of Ifa oracle, that is why as a stool, it is the Ifa oracle that determines who will be an oba.
Kingmakers do not vote here, we use Ifa oracle in selecting Oores. We consult Ifa and Ifa will say out of these, this is the chosen one. Ifa is the major decision maker for us here in Otun Ekiti. The Ifa Aba festival is the end of our calendar. Our calendar starts with Urere and ends with the Ifa Aba festival at the end of October. Then there is the Egun Elewe festival, which is celebrated once every two years. The festival, to us, is like bonding for the community. Different quarters will bring their Egungun (masquerader), we dance, we rejoice and we eat. There are 24 clans in Otun, the Egunguns will come from different groups, drumming with Kabiyesi. Other Kabiyesis from Moba will join us. It is like our own Christmas. We have been celebrating the festival for over 500 years here.
What are the main occupations of your people?
It is an agrarian community; we are mostly farmers and civil servants. Our people plant mostly cassava, yams and sugar cane. We have a comparative advantage for sugarcane. Very soon, by the grace of God, Dangote is coming to open a sugarcane factory here, because we have the same belt with Bacita that produces sugarcane for Dangote. Again, we are the headquarters of kolanut, but we don’t plant kolanuts. That is the mystery. Otun Ekiti is like a warehouse, because Otun is a gateway to the North-Central, especially Kwara State. We have people who come all the way from Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto and Borno, even all the way from Algeria to buy kolanut. People bring kolanuts here from all over the South-West.
Are you satisfied with the place and role of traditional rulers in Nigeria?
Not at all! As our father, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said recently in an interview, we need to have constitutional roles. We are the closest to the people. We play roles that are most effective because of our affinity to the grassroots. Insecurity will be abolished if there are constitutional roles for traditional rulers. If the government recognises monarchs and there is a security vote for them, there are things we can do that politicians cannot do. I will be here for life and I will not want my community to suffer. It is not as if we will take anybody’s position; we are just saying, let them carry us along. In the amended constitution, let them give us roles and responsibilities. Traditional institutions should be organised in a way that we will have roles to play for the peace and development of our country.
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