Why Ijebu-ode has been peaceful since Oba Adetona ascended throne 64 years ago – Ex-commissioner

Former Commissioner for Information in Ogun State, Chief Fassy Yusuf, speaks to AJIBADE OMAPE on the highlights of the reign of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as he celebrates 64 years on the throne.

As a former commissioner for information, culture, and sports in Ogun State, how did you become a writer and what inspired your passion for writing?

Well, I am a journalist; right from my secondary school day I was a member of the press club, and immediately after I left secondary school, I read journalism, and at the academic level, I have a PhD in Mass Communication, and I’m a distinguished fellow in the Department of Mass Communication in the … of Lagos.

What inspired you to write about Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona and his reign as the Awujale of Ijebuland?

I have been writing about the Awujale of Ijebuland for about 45 years now, and I am one of his chiefs, so writing about the oba has been a long-time thing. Although I stand to be corrected, I think it is a great honour to be able to write about the longest-reigning first-class monarch in the world.

Can you explain some key highlights and achievements of Oba Adetona during his 64-year reign as the paramount monarch of Ijebuland?

Immediately he was crowned as the Awujale of Ijebuland, and some days after he took his seat as a member of the Western Region House of Chiefs in Ibadan, he was considered the chairman of the Council of Chiefs, which later went to the late Oba Adesoji Aderemi; not only that, he was appointed a minister by the Western Region government at the age of 26 because he became the Awujale before he was 26, so he was involved in the administration of the Western Region during the Western Region crisis in 1963 when the government of the Western Region was suspended and the late Dr Moses Majekodunmi was appointed the administrator of the Western Region. Recall that the late Dr Moses Majekodunmi later became the founder of St Nicholas Hospital on Lagos Island, so when Dr Majekodunmi was appointed as the administrator of the Western Region, he found a young Awujale Adetona as a member of the interim administration, and that was how he was involved in the administration.

During the Civil War, the Federal Government needed his advice. During the military era, he was on the side of the people to find solutions to the problems in the country. The administration of General Ibrahim Babangida found him worthy to appoint him as a mediator in the South-South and South-East. Months later, he was appointed the Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State. On the war front, defending democracy during the 1993 political log jam, he was advising the politicians during meetings on the way forward; the late military head of state and maximum ruler, General Sanni Abacha invited all obas to Abuja, Awujale Adetona spoke the minds of the people and he could not be swayed to condemn the acts of a general, which also helped raise the bar on public opinion in his favour, then the political parties took roots from his palace because politicians were coming to him because he made his facilities available.

He was addressing them; several came in from the North, East, and West. He was the President of the United Muslim Council of Nigeria and the Vice-President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and when Kabiyesi clocked 80, an idea was presented that they should endow a professorial chair in governance at the Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University; he embraced the idea and endowed a professorial chair, which has grown to be the biggest endowment in the country to the extent that we now have the Oba Adetona School of Governance, which is the first of its kind in Africa, and it boasts of iconic multi-billion naira buildings to be formally inaugurated by the President on May 10, 2024, when the Oba clocks 90 years old.

So, he’s been involved in governance; he is a Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, and he believes in good governance; he believes that good governance is the solution to the problems in the country. He is frank and factual, a man of strong character; the oba is a very focused man, and he is a man you can rely upon. Oba Adetona has been able to hold his people together; in 64 years of his reign, there has not been any communal clash; the Hausa live in harmony with the Ijebu; the Igbo live in harmony with the Ijebu; the Tiv also live in harmony with the Ijebu and we are not at war with our neighbours; there is nothing that will make you think that, although he had an issue with the late governor of the state; he triumphed and as we see there is peace.

How significant is Oba Adetona’s role in the traditional institution, particularly in preserving the cultural heritage and values of the Ijebu people?

Oba Adetona is a king like no other; when he came onboard and ascended the throne of his forefathers, you could count how many obas we had in the Ijebuland, but now, because of his progressive nature and his belief that culture should be dynamic, we have over 55 obas in Ijebuland, because many towns around yearned for the promotion of their monarchs, so many of the other obas in the Ijebuland are fiercely loyal to him, they respect and adore him, and his personality speaks volume and he is well respected in the comity of traditional institutions and levels of every government respect his position.

We also have the Balogun and the Eleshin. The baloguns are the war commanders who defended the nation to the extent that the Ijebu nation has never been on the run; the Ijebu nation has never been displaced; the only issue we had was with the British when we did not allow them to penetrate us; they waged a war against us but due to their superior firepower we were subdued but we still retained our position. We are very cosmopolitan, and hardworking, and we do not depend on our government to survive. We also have the Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction established in 1999 as the first of its kind in Africa, and people come from all over the world to understudy the initiative. I was the first director for mobilisation and information; our people were grouped into clusters; they went into fish farming and other forms of farming; some got tricycles and other forms of business, and that’s why the crime rate is very low.

What do you consider to be Oba Adetona’s greatest contributions to the socio-political and economic development of Ijebuland and Nigeria as a whole?

The Awujale of Ijebuland is one of the architects of the current political dispensation; he made his facilities available to the two major political parties at that time, he advised them and gave them spaces to operate, and I don’t think anybody will be President without coming to pay homage to him; ex-President (Olusegun) Obasanjo came to the palace; late President (Umaru) Yar’Adua respected him; Goodluck Jonathan also respected him; Buhari also, even the present President respects him a lot; he was consulted widely because for someone to be on the throne for 64 years, you know what that means, and he is still kicking; no oba in Nigeria can boast of such a feat. The people of Ijebuland are very hard-working to the point that we do not depend on the economy of the government.

What is the purpose of the seclusion of the king-elect at the Odo for three months?

It is a tradition that has been there since time immemorial; you know when you want to become an oba, you need to go through certain traditional rites, you need to go through some tutelage as well, you need to know the culture, the dos and don’ts of the office of the oba, you need to know how to comport yourself. You need to know what the people expect from you, among other rites. So the seclusion at the Odo for three months is necessary to attain the throne.

Can you share a little bit of insight into the historical origins and migration of the Ijebu people?

If you go into history or if you are a history student, you will know that the Middle East was the cradle of civilisation; our forefathers started dispersing from Saudi Arabia, and they passed through Egypt, and from there to Sudan; from Sudan, we took off to Owadaiye (Waddai), and we passed through Borno; if you look at the typical Borno man, he has three tribal marks like an Ijebu man. We passed through Borno to Igala; from Igala, we got down to where we are now; some people came from other places, some migrated from Ile-Ife and Oyo, but the royal household migrated from Owadaiye now corrupted to Waddai. According to history, the royal family was expelled from Owadaiye; that was the origin of ‘Obanta’ (the king is outside); Obanta was not the first king of Ijebuland.

How best can other states and the country at large learn good governance from the monarch?

You can learn from the monarch through his speeches, his books, and all the rest, and also the Institute of Governance established at the Olabisi Onabanjo University is a place for research and postgraduate studies in governance, and more details will be unveiled when the place is inaugurated in May.

What role has Oba Adetona played in promoting education and academic excellence with his involvement in various educational institutions and initiatives?

He is the chancellor of many universities, and of course, the Ogun State governor also renamed the college of education as the Oba S. K. Adetona College of Education Science and Technology; he is also the Chancellor of Crescent University, Lokoja; he is also the Chancellor of Hallmark University. He was also appointed the Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology (now Modibbo Adama University), Yola, by the Babangida administration, and now the Institute of Governance established at the Olabisi Onabanjo University is a place for research that will be inaugurated in May when the Oba turns 90.

What should the people of Ijebuland expect as the monarch turns 90 in May?

They can expect additional good governance, and additional peace and tranquillity; they should expect prosperity and progress, and they should also expect additional cohesion, and many more great things to come.

What sets Oba Adetona apart as a monarch, leader, and patriot in Nigeria and beyond?

I will say his character and personality are that of a king like no other; he is a man of peace, integrity, fairness, justice, and equity. Oba Adetona’s personality speaks volumes and as I said, he is a well-respected personality in the comity of traditional institutions around the country.

How has the monarch been able to manage peace among the ethnic groups as it is suggested that there have been no inter or intra-ethnic clashes recorded in Ijebuland since 1960?

Yes, I mentioned before that there have been no clashes, and this is a result of the oba being just, and equitable; the ingredient of peace is justice, equity, and fairness; if one does not possess all these, there will be problems; we have different tribes living in harmony with us and we believe that from God we came and to Him, we will return. There is also religious harmony, hardly can you find an Ijebu family without Muslims and Christians, even the traditionalists are not left out, and we all live in harmony. The origin of ‘Ojude Oba’ was in Islam, but it has been embraced by every religion; you will see the Eyo masquerader coming out, so also the Christians, the bishops, clergymen, and Muslim clerics, so it is known in Ijebu that religion cannot divide us.