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By Kehinde Aderemi
The Oloje of Igasi Akoko Kingdom in Akoko North West Local Government of Ondo State, Oba Adeniji Adeleye spent more than 40 years in the United Kingdom before returning home to serve as monarch of the town and father to the people.
The monarch recently celebrated one year on the throne. As part of activities marking his first anniversary, Oba Adeleye honoured nine prominent sons and daughters of the town, as well as others from the Diaspora, with different chieftaincy titles.
The monarch described the traditional titles as a call to service, even as he urged all the chieftaincy title holders to do more for the town.
In a recent encounter with the reporter, Oba Adeleye spoke on himself, life as a monarch and the mission he has set for himself as the Oloje of Igasi Akoko.
After spending over four decades in United Kingdom, why did you consider it necessary to leave your thriving business in the UK and come back to Nigeria to become a king?
I decided to come back home because of the love I have for my people in Igasi Akoko and the desire to bring development to the town.
I was doing well in the United Kingdom, and my business was going on smoothly. But destiny played a major role and I see my homecoming as a call to service. I came back home to restore the dignity of our culture and tradition and to also play a major role in the progress and development of my town. I have been doing all these since I became the king of Igasi Akoko about a year ago.
You recently gave traditional titles to prominent sons and daughters of Igasi Akoko, as well as some others, as part of activities to celebrate your first anniversary on the throne. What informed this?
Yes, as somebody that had spent a large part of his adult years abroad, and with my level of exposure and experiences, I think it is necessary to look beyond myself and see how we can involve prominent sons and daughters of my town, and even those in the Diaspora in my vision to develop the town.
That is why I decided to honour nine of them that are doing well in their respective areas of life with the traditional titles. It is my own little way of getting them involved in the service of our people. It is a call to service for them to contribute their quotas to the progress and development of Igasi Akoko town.
For instance, before now, a few of them have been contributing in their respective ways, but I think with their new titles, they would be more committed to Igasi Akoko town now than ever.
Let me say for emphasis that those that were honoured were carefully selected, and they went through rigorous procedures just to be sure that they were the best for the town. And I am confident that they would deliver and also be good ambassadors of the throne. Apart from Chief Mrs Toluwani Ajibade that was honoured with Yeye Gbobaniyi of Igasi Akoko Kingdom, four out of the 21 Europe-based dignitaries that were also honoured include Dr Nun Ayegbusi, Shina Agboola, Mariola Ayegbusi, Helen Ebun Agboola, Dapo Idowu, Sunday Adefarati Aina Adeshina, Adejoke Olatunji, Ilesanmi Adeshina, as Aare Jagunmolu and Mrs Adefarati Sunday.
Dr Nun Ayegbusi had been a friend and a very dedicated member of my team while I was abroad and I think he still has a lot to offer as we move on in life, especially as one of our traditional title holders.
What has been your major achievement since you became king in the last one year?
I came to the throne with lots of vision. That is why I left UK and I believe we are doing our best. My first priority when I assumed the throne was to provide effective security for the town, support widows, and improve social infrastructure.
Service to humanity is key to the progress of every society. I do tell people that God has created us to impact the lives of others positively. It is only the grace of God to see people that are generous and kind-hearted. We must not take our eyes away from the poor people who are still struggling to cope in life. We must always remember the needy, the destitute, the motherless and the fatherless who are the orphans in our society. As far as I am concerned, the issue of security in Igasi town is very important to me and in the last one year, I have been working with the local security operatives to ensure that Igasi Akoko town is safe.
Insecurity is a major challenge across the country. My town borders Kogi and Ekiti States and as a border town, the bandits usually penetrate through those states.
Recently, we embarked on grassroots security measures in order to secure our town. We hired the services of grassroots security like the vigilante and other security outfits to combat insecurity in the town.
As the royal father, I ensure that those that were hired were well taken care of. The challenges are numerous, but we are not going to relent. We will continue to do our best.
Since I came home from abroad and became king, I have also been involved in various humanitarian services like empowerment of widows and the vulnerable people in our society. Through my empowerment programme, I have touched the lives of widows in the town. That is why I am also appealing to others, including the sons and daughters of the town to support us in ensuring that the widows and the vulnerable people in Igasi Akoko are truly happy and independent.
I believe strongly that infrastructure is key to development. I want to appeal to our amiable governor, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to help us build our road. Our amiable governor should help Igasi Akoko town by constructing the road that leads to the town, and also provide other social amenities like pipe borne water, health centres and also build more schools for the people of the town.
Education is the foundation of any society. I left England and came to Nigeria to become a king of my town because I wanted to help my people by ensuring that Igasi Akoko remains one of the best towns in Ondo State and Nigeria at large. I have also determined to help my people in Igasi in advancing quality basic and comprehensive education in the town.
For instance, the road network from Ajowa to Igasi is very poor, and also between Igasi and Oke Agbe. If these two roads are constructed, it will improve the economy of Igasi and Eriki Ajowa town.
How do you intend to sustain the rich culture of Igasi Akoko town?
As a traditional ruler and custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, it is our responsibility as traditional ruler to sustain Yoruba culture. Igasi Akoko has a rich history and culture and in the last one year, I have been trying to do my best to reclaim our lost glory.
For instance, within Akoko North West where my town Igasi Akoko is located, we have other towns like Ajowa, Gedegede, Eriki, Arigidi, Irun, and we are very large with about 27 obas in Ondo State. So, all the obas in Akoko are one big family and we are always in touch on matters that can bring progress and development to our towns and Ondo State in general.
Meanwhile, our amiable governor has been very supportive to all Obas in Ondo State. I want to thank Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for standing firm to ensure that traditional institution in Ondo State was accorded the due respect and honour that the stool demands. Governor Aiyedatiwa is working round the clock to ensure that Ondo State is safe. He has also been supportive to the traditional institution and we always pray for him.
During your first anniversary ceremony, you appealed to your people in the Diaspora to come back home. Do you think that is possible now that insecurity is affecting Nigeria?
We cannot do it alone. The traditional institution is very vast. We need people’s support. Even the government cannot do it alone. That is why we are appealing to people from the Diaspora to come back home and support our vision to build our town.
There’s no place like home. I am also appealing to sons and daughters of Igasi Akoko town to consider it necessary now to come back home to support us.
Home is home. I was abroad for over 40 years and I know that there is no place like home.
Africa is good. Nigeria is great. And Ondo State is our home. In all of this, we still have Igasi Akoko to call our home. Those that are interested in mechanised farming can knock at our doors. We have the opportunity to allocate land to them for their farming, and those who will like to buy land can also come for it.
We will support every idea that is geared towards the development and progress of Igasi Akoko town.
