Fondly called ‘Baba Gomina’ by virtue of the fact that the incumbent governor of Osun state, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, hails from Iragbiji in Boripe Local Government Area, Oba Abdulrasheed Ayotunde Olabomi ascended the throne of his forefathers in 2008. A very simple, loving and charismatic monarch with a wealth of experience in and outside the traditional institution, Oba Olabomi Ilufemifemiloye Odundun IV, is an interviewers delight by every standard as rightly depicted in his usual erudition and eloquence with Osun Newsroom in the course of this interview. Among other salient local and national issues, the highly respected monarch told the duo of Bukola Aderibigbe and Moshood Suleiman why the Osun Council of Obas gave an open and bias-free endorsement of Mr Adegboyega Oyetola for a second term in office as governor, as well as what the role of traditional rulers should be in Osun and Nigeria as a whole. A prolific writer and author of two popular books as his contributions to the field of intellectualism, a farmer and an astute businessman who does not confine himself to sitting in the palace only, Oba Olabomi is also a public affairs analyst and a former local government administrator who rose to the position of Director, Personnel Management (DPM) in the local government administration of Osun state before royalty beckoned on him in 2008 to wear the crown of his forefathers as the Aragbiji of Iragbiji land. The golfer and sport-loving Oba also talked tough on the security situations in Nigeria, particularly the recent declaration of bandits as terrorists by Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. He didn’t conclude the barely one hour long interview without telling us his personal take on who should ideally become the next Olubadan of Ibadan in spite of what looks like a stormy royal succession. Enjoy this week’s edition of your darling electronic news tabloid, Osun Newsroom, as put together by the Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation.
Osun Newsroom:
Kabiyesi, could you please paint the picture of the mood of traditional rulers in Osun few days ago, when like a bolt out of the proverbial blues, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola stormed the meeting of Osun Council of Obas unannounced?
Aragbiji:
Thank you so much. Thursday, 6th January, 2022 was very very remarkable and historic for us as traditional rulers in Osun state. It was the day the governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, paid an unscheduled visit to the council meeting of the traditional rulers. It has never for once happened in the 30 years history of the State. No governor ever did it. It was the first time traditional rulers will witness such. We were overwhelmed with joy. So elated and impressed were the traditional rulers in attendance, led by His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who presided over the Council meeting in his official capacity as the Chairman of the state Council of Obas. We were very proud and elated beyond words, as royal fathers, in hosting Mr Governor that Thursday afternoon. He was royally ushered into the venue of the meeting.
Osun Newsroom:
You did not in anyway have an inkling that the governor, Mr Oyetola, would be visiting you? No clue or signal to that effect from any quarter at all?
Aragbiji:
Never. Not at all. Perhaps that informed the overwhelming royal euphoria that enveloped the entire Finance Building in the state secretariat, Osogbo, venue of the monthly meeting of the Obas in Osun.
Osun Newsroom:
A happy moment it was, no doubt.
Aragbiji:
Yes, it was beyond what could be described as all of us in the chamber that afternoon were beaming with smiles over and over. It was like a dream. Since the creation of the state in 1991, for once, no sitting Chief Executive of the state ever deemed it officially necessary to pay us an official visit during any of our meetings. It was the mother of all respects and honours ever paid to us by any governor in Osun. That accounted for our high sense of elation as the entire council chambers stood still for several minutes before the governor and his entourage took their seats in the midst of Obas from different cities, towns and villages of the state who were attending our usual monthly meeting.
Osun Newsroom:
Aside the fact that it was the first of its kind, what other factors explain the traditional rulers’ welcome of Mr Governor with such royal sagacity, conviviality and finesse?
Aragbiji:
So many factors could have accounted for the enthusiasm and elation of the royal fathers in welcoming the governor.
First, in my own thinking and analysis, our mood as royal fathers may have stemmed from the glaring facts on ground across different sectors that Governor Oyetola has made a mark in the last three years in Osun. If you ask me, I will tell you that it is like a 9-day wonder going by the enormity of countless challenges on ground before he became the governor. The economy of the state was almost in a state of comatose. But against known and unknown odds staring the face of the administration, here we are in Osun today giving praise and adoration unto God. We have never been that opportune and privileged to have such a performing governor who through thick and thin has made what hitherto looked like an impossibility to become a possibility in terms of growth and development. We thought given the lean resources accruing to him and his administration vis-a-vis the humongous debt profile also of the state, governance would be tough and herculean. But Oyetola proved it to the contrary especially some of the Doubting Thomases in the state. Taken this holistically, I am of the view that it is on the basis of this that the entire Council of Obas unanimously endorsed his candidature openly for a second term in office during the visit he made to us during our meeting. It is only good and apposite for us as traditional rulers to do so for the good of everybody in the state. Some people may be thinking that we were emotional about our endorsement. No emotion of any kind at all. It came from the minds of all of us. You needed to be there to appreciate the import of the point I am making which of course represents the feelings of all the traditional rulers in Osun under the chairmanship of His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II. Again we took this position of open endorsement of Governor Oyetola based on the positive comments we have been hearing from our subjects in our various cities, towns and villages, and I think as their leaders, it is apt for us to openly express their feelings when the opportunity presented itself. That, consequently, informed the standing ovation and commendation the governor got from us when he appeared unannounced at our meeting.
Osun Newsroom:
Did all the traditional rulers speak or it was the Ooni of Ife alone that aggregated the opinions of Obas?
Aragbiji:
Not all of us had the privilege of speaking. For instance, I didn’t even speak because I was not among those the Chairman, the Ooni of Ife, gave the go ahead to speak. If I had spoken, many would have attributed sentiments to my comments because the governor is from Iragbiji. The Ooni in his wisdom, instead of calling me decided to randomly pick other traditional rulers, one after the other, who eventually spoke glowingly about *the Omo Abulesowo* (Oyetola’s nickname). So, you can now see that the comments and commendations made by the monarchs were genuinely made devoid of sentiments or emotions.
Osun Newsroom:
So, you mean to say that your voices that afternoon aggregated the impression of your subjects?
Aragbiji:
Fantastic. Yes, you got the message very well. However, on a personal note, I felt highly touched and moved by the moving speeches of the royal fathers on the achievements of the governor as spearheaded by the Ooni who was emphatic that Oyetola has lived up to the good expectations of all in Osun and beyond. I want to tell you that as traditional rulers, we use to network with other brother Obas throughout Nigeria, more like comparing notes with one another, and what we usually hear from them in terms of governance and disposition of any chief executive to the traditional rulers in their various states are better not be said openly. Having been convinced and impressed by governance in Osun state, some of the Obas will even go as far as even asking us to tell them the magic wands of Oyetola in smoothly governing Osun despite the lean resources. In other words, when placed side by side with other states in Nigeria, Osun is ‘numero uno’ in the area of development under Oyetola. To God be the glory for His love and mercies on us. Yes, God is indeed wonderful to us in Osun. For somebody to have done all these wonders without borrowing a dime from anybody or organisation in the last three years, the person deserves accolades and applause of monumental proportion.
Osun Newsroom:
Again, what could have accounted for all these success stories?
Aragbiji:
So many factors could have played out, and specifically, don’t forget that he was a shrewd businessman of over three decades standing, before he eventually came to the limelight, politically, for the first time under the immediate past administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola where he was Chief of Staff for eight years. Providence, through the goodwill of the people of Osun, after serving that administration diligently and conscientiously, catapulted him in 2018 to the position of governor which he occupies today and which I pray he should continue to after July 22 guber election in Osun. Oyetola’s management of men and resources is unprecedented in the history of this state. I must say that we have been very lucky and fortunate in this regard. Having noted that the financial status of the state is nothing to write home about, he has been very meticulous in the way he goes about managing the little the state has. It takes a man of high financial wizardry to be able to keep afloat the situation of things without going cap in hand to anybody begging and borrowing in order to keep Osun on a steady pedestal that the state is now at the moment. Over the years, he brought his wealth of experience of over three decades in the private sector to bear in steering the wheel of progress of the state.
Osun Newsroom:
Going by the seeming feud within the APC fold in Osun, especially with one group loyal to the incumbent governor and the other to the immediate past governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, are traditional rulers in the state sitting akimbo watching without showing any concrete concern, openly or privately, to reconcile the two “warring” political groups?
Aragbiji:
You have asked a very important question which requires an equally very important answer. We are not in anyway passive about the trend of events on this matter. Personally, I see it as a small political disagreement between the same family (APC), which of course will not last long. As custodians of peace, culture and harmony in our various domains between our subjects (political and non-political subjects), we are deeply saddened by the level of that political disagreement in the same political family and of the same political party. All the same, we have not been passive in bringing about reconciliation. We have been making efforts to amend the hitherto strong but now broken fences. We even tried once to get the two groups reconciled amicably but the effort failed. I want to tell you that until all is well in this matter, we will not keep our hands folded. We are not foreclosing making yet another attempt aimed at bringing an end to the seeming disagreement very very soon. We will not stop at intervening and I am confidently sure that this time around, we shall make a breakthrough. Disagreement is one of the effects of party politics but it should not be allowed to fester for so long a time as it seems now. We would not allow it to go beyond the ordinary limit. Political disagreement, sometimes, is not about a personality but about the political interest of the interested parties in a given political squabble. To put it candidly, traditional rulers in Osun will again make another intervention to settle the disagreement once and for all.
Osun Newsroom:
It is our prayer that God will give you the grace and opportunity to make a success of this last attempt at reconciliation.
Aragbiji:
Even though we are not politicians but as political animals which we are, and which everybody is, by the special grace of God, we shall get the two groups reconciled soon. They are our children and as their fathers, I want to tell you that they will listen to the voice of reason and wisdom of Osun traditional rulers.
Osun Newsroom:
Let’s talk about the July 22 guber election in Osun state. What do you think should be the roles of the traditional institution before, during and after the election to make a success of it?
Aragbiji:
We are not leaving any stone unturned to make a success story of not only election, but all aspects of our daily lives in all our communities. On a daily basis, as monarchs of repute, we are in a constant touch with our subjects to preach the gospel of peace, unity and harmony before, during and after the elections, both the forthcoming one in Osun and 2023 general elections in Nigeria. The youths are particularly the vulnerable ones when it comes to election period. They should please stay off trouble and not make it a do-or-die affair. Election should be completely devoid of rancour and acrimony. Peace should be the hallmark of any electoral process. And that exactly is what a good traditional institution in any state in Nigeria should and must be seen doing. However, let me emphasize that for endorsing Oyetola’s candidature, other politicians in Osun should not see us as their enemies. We are not, and we will never be. We only put the interest of the state first and above other considerations in making the open endorsement for the governor which informed the action of the traditional rulers to also pass a vote of total confidence in him. What we are saying is simple: after Oyetola’s eight years as governor, another person can take over. No problem. But for now, continuity should be the name of the game in Osun political firmament. And Oyetola remains our best bet in this regard. No sentiment. No bias. It is the gospel truth which cannot be controverted.
Osun Newsroom:
Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari declared bandits in Nigeria as terrorists who should not be spared. What is your take on this pronouncement, Kabiyesi?
Aragbiji:
I am indifferent about this open declaration by the Federal Government. One thing is to make law in Nigeria, another thing is to get it fully implemented and followed to the letter. We have had enough laws in this country to deal with criminals and we have a lot of security agencies to that effect but criminality continues to increase unabated. This is sad and antithetical to the growth and development of this country. Our economy is in a state of comatose as a result of humongous security challenges we are currently engrossed in. Please something urgent and drastic should be done.
Osun Newsroom:
Who becomes the new Olubadan of Ibadan is now the talking point here and there. Since this matter cropped up after the demise of the immediate past Olubadan, as a traditional ruler, what has been your genuine interpretation of the ongoing royal debacle in Ibadan land and the way forward?
Aragbiji:
Well, the whole thing is not as difficult as it looks on the face value. No doubt, people are keenly interested in who becomes the next Olubadan of Ibadan land. But in my own personal view, anchored on the existing royal status quo and antecedents, the existing royal goalpost in Ibadan should not be changed midway into the course of the game. That would not be fair enough. The facts and figures of who takes what, when and where regarding Ibadan Obaship are there for many centuries. The succession bid should not in anyway be tampered with. There should be no bickering at all regarding who wears the crown of Olubadan next. Also, I want to strongly advise that politics should not be allowed to upturn the age-old tradition of succession bid in that famous city, regarded as the largest city in West Africa. I am sure very soon, reasons bothering on the right selection based on the already established norms and age-old tradition will take the centre stage in Ibadan.
Osun Newsroom:
Finally Kabiyesi, so far so good, your reign has been witnessing unprecedented developments in Iragbiji. In fact, one of the already defined achievements of your reign as the Aragbiji is having an indigene of the town, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, as the governor of Osun state .
Aragbiji:
To God be the glory. All praise and adoration be unto Him. My journey on the saddle of the throne of my forebears so far has been very very peaceful, extremely eventful and remarkably interesting with a lot of things to thank Almighty God for. As much as it gladdens my heart everyday that I have a son (the incumbent governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola) from Iragbiji Olokemeji, as the state Chief Executive which makes me the ‘Baba Gomina’, I still want to say with all sense of humility and modesty that, I, Oba Abdulrasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, Ilufemifemiloye, Odundun the fourth, my best is yet to come on the throne. More and more of such happy moments are coming my way by the special grace of God.
Osun Newsroom:
In one sentence, describe Mr Adegboyega Oyetola.
Aragbiji:
He is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, by virtue of where providence has placed him today to make us proud in Iragbiji and the entire state in general.
Osun Newsroom:
Congratulations Kabiyesi
Aragbiji:
Thank you for engaging me in this highly interesting interview session. I wish you well in your career. God bless you.
