In the annals of Ìjèsà History, there has been nothing of the sort. There has never been anything like it. It is unprecedented. It is a first. The office is a product of fertile and creative imagination. An imagination pulled from the depth of the desire to deliver to the polity. A creativity that comes from the chipper of love for his people. A perceptibility that pullulates from the profound puddle of pure patriotism.
It is an actualisation of a dream. A dream to drive dreams to deeds. A dream to give to his people. A dream to serve. A dream to dignify the disadvantaged. A dream to give hope to the hopeless. A dream to wake up the latent talent of his people. A dream to give refined and purposeful leadership. A dream to advance the peace, progress and prosperity of the polity. A dream to be happy by fostering the happiness of his own people in as many ramifications as possible.
That is the provenance of the title of Asíwájú of Ìjèsà land. It is from whence it came. It is inspired from thence. It is the compost that created it. It is the humus that hatched it. To produce for Ìjèsà land, the first of its kind. To pave a new path for peace and progress. To act as pathfinder for the convoluted social and economic milieu. A milieu that is unwittingly milling in the stagnated plethora of talents, resources and goodwill.
With a pedigree that is reputable in Ilésà, a name that is more valuable than wúrà ati fàdákà, he has built himself from the scratch to what he has become today to and for Ìjèsà land. From his then modest office, at the foot of Mokola hills in Ibadan, he worked hard to levitate and position himself for the roles that History has prepared for him as Asíwájú of Ìjèsà land.
Since it has pleased the Kábíyèsí, His Imperial Majesty, Owá Obòkun Àdìmúlà of Ìjèsà land, Oba Adékúnlé Arómolárân to honour our very own dear brother, Olayinka Fasuyi, with the title of Asíwájú of Ìjèsà land, the elements have patently realigned propitiously. The skies have become bluer. The streams have swirled with zest. The ornateness of nature has become more nectarous. The rain has been timely. And the sun, usually lackadaisical in detaching the dazzling drapes of dawn, has never disappointed.
The Ìjèsà have witnessed and are still witnessing a resurgence in patriotic zeal. They have found it easier to contend with and surmount the age long hurdles that have cinctured cooperation for the advancement of their common interests. Asíwájú Yinka Fasuyi has spearheaded and he is still spearheading economic rejuvenation of Ìjèsà land in the context of the efforts of other equally patriotic sons and daughters of Ìjèsà land that he has been able to pull together.
©Rèmí Oyèyemí
