Interview: Creation of Oke-Ogun State Eluded Us Sequel to Disunity, Conflict of interest Among Us _ Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom, Oba Oyemonla Azeez
Why We Didn’t Get Oke-Ogun State
Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom, Oba Oyemonla Azeez
*HRM Oba Soliu Oyemonla Azeez, Agunoye 1V is the Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom and permanent Chairman, Traditional Council and Chiefs, Iwajowa Local Government, Area of Oyo State. In this interview with Khalid Imran on personality focus, he speaks about his background, the secret behind his peaceful reign, gorgeous appearances, fulani-fermers’ clashes, identification with ODCF, and other issues _ Excerpts*.
*Who is Oba Soliu Oyemonla Azeez, Agunloye1V?*
I am a public servant fondly referred to as His Royal Majesty by culture and tradition Oba Soliu AbdulAzeez Ayefemiloye 1, Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom.
I was born about 54 years ago precisely, June 15, 1969. I attended L. A Primary School, Oke Odo, Iganna between 1975 and 1981, and then my secondary school, Iganna High School between 81 to 86. While I was in Primary, I was a prefect, and in Secondary School too.
When I was about to gain admission into University, I wrote the JAMB but I couldn’t make it the first time. I eventually proceeded to Higher School Certificate, the advanced level course at AUD Saki between 1988 and 89. While I was in Saki, I was also appointed as a Prefect. Later I got admitted to the University of Ibadan in 1993 and I finished in 1997. I bagged B.A Hons in English.
While at the University, I participated in extracurricular activities. I was the president of the National Association of Kajola Students, then we were under the Kajola Local Government. I was an officer under the Oke-Ogun Students Union in the University of Ibadan Chapter. I went for my NYSC at Dakingari in Kebbi State.
By divine grace, in 2009 I was favoured by popular opinion to come and serve as the 18th Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom. Specifically, the 5th of May, 2009. That was just the brief history of Sabiganna now.
*Iganna Kingdom has been peaceful since you came on board as a monarch, what is the secret?*
Since I’ve been on the throne, everyone normally sees me busy, as uneasy lies on the head that wears the crown, there have been challenges, up and down, but I thank God that I have been able to manage the stress and challenges.
During my time, in Iganna Kingdom, I mean Iwajowa local government has been able to make some achievements, and changes in its landscape, physical development, human development, and social development, and even at the traditional council level, I have been able to pilot the council to achieve relative peace, unity, harmony, and understanding.
We can manage ourselves so that in almost all the communities that are under Iwajowa Local Government, we have been able to sustain peace.
And as a member of the Oyo State Council of Obas, we can make our impacts right. We normally have our meeting in the State, unlike now when the meeting is no more coming up.
Even in Oke-Ogun, I am currently, the vice Chairman, of Oke-Ogun Obas and Chiefs, and I have been able to sustain the stability and unity among the Obas in Oke-Ogun, unlike in the past when there was a kind of disharmony or disunity among the Obas. The Obas are now speaking in one voice. Those are the roles we have been playing, reconciliation, advocacy where necessary all these have been helped in having some positive impacts.
In the area of youth development, I have tried hard in my 14 years of rulership to change the orientation of our youths most especially in the area of education, and development and., God has assisted me in gaining employment for some of them both at the federal and state levels and in terms of economic development, I’ve succeeded in establishing a 5-day market which is more or less an international market that is ‘Olorunda Market’. This market specializes in the selling of foodstuff, raw, and all other things. People are coming from all other States to trade in every 5 days, because we have a greener economy here, we have to create an available market that is closer to our people.
Generally with the help of God and the assistance of notable and committed members of the Sabiganna council and illustrious sons and daughters of Iganna Kingdom, we have been able to impact positively on the lives of our people.
*You always appear calm, decent, and gorgeous in appearances, would you please substantiate that?*.
I see this position as a call to service. I don’t see myself as a boss which is why I always address myself as a public servant. One needs to achieve this because it is a service to humanity, one needs to display humility to people, and one needs to be very accommodative to people. My perception about life is that more or less like holidaying then you return home. It is not you’re coming to life that matters because God has a purpose of sending you to this world. You can impact, to change the environment for the better. That is the most important thing. My posture has always been to see myself as the servant of the people, as a person who is committed or given a divine call to serve humanity. So I need to be humble in my posture, accommodating, and look elegant because as a leader I must be a role model. That has been my perception about life.
*Fulani- Farmers’ clashes have become so rampant in Iwajowa Local Government, what are you doing to rescue the situation?*.
I want to assure you that we are on top of the situation now. It is on record that Iwajowa is the most peaceful local government in Oyo state. Just recently, the record has been blamed for some changes due to some crises, mostly in proximity to Ibarapa Local Government. There was a crisis in Ibarapa that is giving us a lot of pressure that mostly of the Fulanis that were driving away from the Ibarapa axis, came down here. We are trying to manage them and some of them are recalcitrant or they are not law-abiding, we are trying to teach them the law of the land because I’m a peaceful person and I provide a peaceful approach to violence. These are the issues we are trying to manage but, unfortunately, the attitude of those Fulanis has militarized our youth but one does not get overreaction where it is not even necessary.
We are Rounding up the situation with the help of the security Chiefs most especially the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, the Area Commander, and all other security agencies. We have had a series of meetings and I assure you, it is going to be a thing of the past.
*Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum(ODCF) is in place and what is its mission towards the development of the zone?*.
I am happy to identify myself as a person and as one of the prominent traditional rulers and I can identify myself as one of the ODCF members ably led by SAN Ahmed Raji. One, this Ahmed Raji is a round peg in a round hole. But this is the first time we are lucky to have a leader who is selfless, committed, and patriotic, not only that but a philanthropic leader. We are grateful in Oke-Ogun that we have such a leader who has the financial wherewithal to turn around Oke-Ogun, that is why we are all rallying around him. Part of his initiatives that we have known as a person, he has demonstrated his capacity to lead us, we need to identify with him. We so much believe in his ability as a person, as a philanthropist, and as an illustrious son of Oke-Ogun and we believe ODCF will go places. Just like I said during the recent meeting we had, I was advising them that SAN Ahmed Raji is a role model, ODCF and Oke-Ogun, and the traditional rulers as a whole need to emulate him, because this is a person who keeps spending his hard-earned resources, he is allocating it not only to Iseyin but to every part of Oke-Ogun and that is why I’m advising that in case the government give any assets to Oke-Ogun, for example, the public asset (Iseyin Campus of LAUTECH) that government gave to Oke-Ogun, we have to appreciate Governor Seyi Makinde for being magnanimous and compassionate to come to our aid in terms of education by approving LAUTECH given to us. It is a public asset and a very good asset that we need to manage it together. It shouldn’t be Iseyin affairs. Just like Raji is dishing his resources, whatever we want to do in that school, we must make sure we carry along every member of Oke-Ogun so that we see it as a public asset to develop the place. It is not just the idea of establishing the school but maintenance of the school must be the responsibility of all of us.
And at the same time when there is any opportunity for example if there is any slot for an appointment for the non-academic staff or any academic staff, it should be shared among the component members of Oke-Ogun, because that will sustain unity and harmony are yearning for and that is what ODCF is standing for.
If we want to sustain harmony among ourselves, we must see ourselves as stakeholders in everything that belongs to Oke-Ogun, it should not be a personal thing. Given the experience we had in Oke-Ogun the most neglected part of Oyo state, if you have any opportunity now you have to do it in our way that is constant with a peculiarity. We shouldn’t emulate all other parts of the state that are doing winners take. That is only logic to sustain unity, understanding, and harmony among us Oke-Ogun and that will promote and accelerate our development. Anything we want to do we will do it as a team. If we work as a team we will achieve everything we want to achieve.
It is on record that the creation of Oke Ogun state eluded us due to disunity and conflict of interest among us.
We need to work against that, we need to prevent that. And that is what I stand for and this aligns with the attributes of SAN Ahmed Raji, he has been demonstrating it even with his hard-earned personal resources. We need to follow that part. As a prominent Oba in Oke-Ogun, I identify myself with ODCF and I believe ODCF came at the right time and we need to rally around it as a platform to achieve greater height in Oke-Ogun.
*Kindly reach out to governments on areas to be touched in Iganna and Oke-Ogun as a whole*.
In the first place, I need to appreciate our present government ably led by Governor Seyi Makinde. I used to tell people that he had been doing what Napoleon couldn’t do. The first governor to identify with our plights, the first governor who has a passion for Oke-Ogun most especially in the area of physical development. We appreciate him and will continue to support him. I’ve been saying that the development of Oke-Ogun may not be tangible without connecting the other parts of Oke-Ogun, especially in the area of road networks. For example, Oke-Ogun 1 started from Iseyin, there should be a road linking Iseyin with all other parts of Oke-Ogun 1, Saki heads Oke-Ogun 2, there should be a road network across Oke-Ogun 2 that links all other parts with saki. I think that will help in no small measure in accelerating the development and improvement in economic development and what a few.
The problem we are having on Oke-Ogun is because most of our roads are bad. And road construction is very vital in any development. We urge the government to do something both the federal and the state like the road from Iseyin down to Benin Republic, it is an ECOWAS road.
Apart from booming the economy of Oyo state, it will also boost the economy of the country. There are lots of economic benefits between the two countries. The same thing with Saki and Okerete. The government needs to do something regarding that, what we need most is road construction and then later on education, despite the launch we have and the polytechnic saki, we still need a federal university, we need a federal presence in Oke-Ogun.
We are always supporting the government, thank you.
Once again my name is His Royal Majesty, Oba Soliu Oyemonla Tela Azeez Sabiganna of Iganna Land.
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