He is the 27th Monarch on the stool of Olomu of Omuaran and Second in his
lineage, coming on after his ancestor reigned in the 19th century. His
ascension cam as a surprise, He would have loved to be an Estate Manager
because his father was a builder but incidentally; he ended up being a town
Planner and environmental specialist who has reached the peak of his
professional career, Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners.
In this Interview with Gbenga Sodeinde, the newly installed Olomu of Omuaran,
amiable and homely, Oba Abdulkareem Oladele Adeoti revealed that he neither
expected it nor was he dreaming of being crowned until providence caused it to happen
to the pleasant surprise of all . Excerpts:
Can you let us into your background Sir?
My name is Abdulraheem Oladele Adeoti, an Alhaji and a town planner. I
hail from Idoku ruling house called Olahelu Akolade Agboluaje Olomu Efon. I
am the Olomu Efon II, installed on second September, 2018. I was born in
1956 and had my primary education at St Paul’s Anglican School, Omuaran and
Secondary education at Government Secondary School, GSS, Ilorin between
1967 and 1971. I later proceeded to Kaduna Polytechnic where I had National
Diploma and higher National Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning. After a
brief working experience, I had to improve my academic quality by going
further to do a Post Graduate Diploma, a professional course in Urban and
Regional Planning. After successful completion of that Course at the same
Kaduna Polytechnic, I was registered as a town planner and my membership
registration number with Nigeria Institute of Town Planners is 948.I also
had a Masters Degree in Environmental Management and by the year 2016, I
was elected a Fellow of Nigeria Institute of Town Planners. My working
experience spanned from 1981 to May 31st, 2018. I rose from the ranks as a
Town Planning Officer up to Chief Executive of Planning Authority, that is
Executive Secretary, Kwara State Town Planning and Development Authority
where work until the call by my community for further service.
What are your childhood experiences?
I had a wonderful childhood always with my father. I was born into a Muslim
family and my father happened to be a bricklayer. We practiced subsistence
farming along with his bricklaying vocation; after going to the farm from
morning to 12.00noon or sometimes 2.00pm, I will leave the farm and join my
father where he may be working as a bricklayer. In those days, bricklayers
commence work by 7.00am and will remain on the site till 7.00pm. So I
usually work on the farm from morning till 12noon and sometimes 2.00pm to
join my father in bricklaying. My father, a bricklayer, sponsored me
throughout my education.
As a Child, did you practice any pranks?
No, my father was a disciplinarian to the core. He never allowed me,
despite being his only surviving male child, he gave me no room for
anything but obedience.
Who are your childhood friends?
Most of my childhood friends are Christians because I went to Mission
school. What kept me from changing religion is my father’s persistent
warning that I must never change religion. Today, most of my friends are
Christians and one of my closest friends is Israel Oyedepo, a member of
Cherubim and Seraphim Church.
From the onset, you are a Prince, did you nursed the ambition of becoming a
King?
Never, I had no such ambition because in Omuaran there were ten ruling
houses collapsed into five and if not for the late but one Kabiyesi, Oba
Suleiman Abegunde Durotoye who during his tenure pledged for orderliness
and pleaded for rotational system, a situation where an Oba is enthroned
sequentially to avoid distortion of facts about the ruling houses.
Unfortunately the immediate past Kabiyesi was relatively young, tough where
he is today, he has become elderly and above all of us. We belong to the
same club with him and we are in same age cohort. I never thought his
demise could be so soon, we in our compound was hoping that, if things were
not disrupted we might produce the next Oba from among the ages of our
sons, not someone of my age.
Did you dream or have a premonition that it was coming?
I did not, all that I know is that I am also a Prince, the reality is that
none of us in his age bracket expect that he would die so soon as to
warrant looking for another royal father from the next ruling house.
How true is it that a Prince who becomes King is never raised in the
palace? Did this apply to you?
Yes, it is very true; my great grandfather that was Olomu Efon the first
was Olomu of Omuaran who ruled between 1819-1840, approximately 178 years
apart. If you look at the time lapse you will see that it’s a long time
apart. Becoming Olomu Efon II is by God’s grace and divine arrangement, I
never expected it. Wishes don’t make anyone become a King, Kings are born,
it is a divine arrangement by God from the heavens. It is man’s duty to
have ambition or propose, it s Gods prerogative to dispose. If had planned
it, I would have said that I did this or that to become Olomu, but I would
tell you sincerely that everything that happened is by God in his mercies.
How did you become a professional Town Planner?
Thank you very much. After secondary school education, I proceeded to
higher school certificate, HSC but I dropped out. My father, despite being
a stack illiterate, then said that his children don’t fail in school, how
come? I couldn’t go to the University immediately; we had an uncle, who was
close by, he happened to be in Kaduna Polytechnic as Head of department. My
father consulted him he said “Adeyemi, your son has not secured admission;
he is still at home doing nothing, what would you do about him?” My father
told him that he would ask me to see him. When he told me to go and see
him, I knew that the uncle would ask for my school certificate results. I
cannot immediately recollect whether he asked me to meet him at Kaduna or I
went with him. He took me to survey unit along Barnawa road. It is a unit
of Kaduna Polytechnic. There he met a white man called Mr Tim, who happened
to be a surveyor. He is the director of the survey unit. He is a Briton. In
those days things were good in the northern region, they had United Nations
experts in their tertiary institutions. When he looked at my results he
suggested that I can read Land survey or Town planning, so when he asked
which do I prefer among the two courses, I told him that I prefer Town
Planning. I was given admission letter almost immediately. However, there
is an aspect that I must mention, when we sat for what we then call
Almighty June examinations, it was not a Semester system, that was in June
1975/76, after the final exams, I happen to lead the whole class of Estate
Management because it was same course we run Town Panning with Estate
Management at Kaduna Polytechnic then. I discovered that town planning was
more inclined to drawings than Estate Management and I was very poor in
drawing. So since I had a good result, I thought that I can change the
course, fortunately for me, the head of department happens to be a Town
Planner, I went to her to tell her about my plans to change course. Her
name is Janet Whitehead, she overseas both Estate Management and town
Planning department. When I told her about my plans to change course she
said turned me down saying: “with this good result, I will not let you go
to Estate management. I reported the issue to my uncle seeking his
assistance to speak with my HOD for a change of course on the ground that I
don’t know how to draw. Again when my uncle met her, she refused
vehemently, so I accepted fate. That was my first year, so what followed
next was that I went to the library, looked for any book on Town Planning
and start practicing the drawings in them, by Gods grace, when the results
came out in the final year, I had the best result in projects.
Considering the various struggles and Tussle for the stool, how did you
accept being the eventual choice of the king makers?
It is natural for me to be happy, I was happy, but in a way, I see it all
as reaping all that my father sowed. Yoruba people always say it that
whatever a father or mother sow as seed, their children will reap the
harvest, good or bad. Despite the number of contestants, about four or
five, people were already assuring me and congratulating me. People like
Chief Eesa saying that I should not worry. He was a bricklayer that
everyone loved so much in the community. Despite that in his days, the kind
of house they built was this mud houses, people still loved him. He was
such an expert in his job that he went as far s building up to storey
building. If you ask about what assisted me the most, I will say it was his
reputation and the character of my mother too.
Now that you are no longer in service and cannot run after money like
before, how would you cope with issue of money?
If you know me well before, you will know that I am not a man after money.
I am always contented with whatever I have. As a civil servant who has
trained myself to live within my means, it is not now that I will start
running after money. What I have, I spend, what I don’t have I don’t run
after. God is sufficient for me.
Can you lead us into a brief history of Omuaran as an ancient town?
I will tell you the little that I know, my Eesa, the second in command, who
is more versatile in our history, he would assist in telling you more. Omu
by name is a settlement on its own and like every other Yoruba settlement;
we have our attachment to Ile Ife as our ancestral home. It is believed
that we migrated to that place from Ile Ife. There was a particular Ife
Princess in our history called Omutoto had a son Aperan who led us with a
mystical object called Ogbo, a sort of pathfinder. When they left Ile Ife,
they first settled down at Ijaregbe near Ilesha and we heard also in
history that Ijaregbe and Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland were brothers. Aperan
later left Ijaregbe to settle at Odo Omun very close to Ola. It was from
there that he left to the present location due to drought. Omun remained so
called until the reign of my forefathers who happened to be the Olomu Efon
the first. It was Olomu Efon that invited Aran people to settle with him.
In my inaugural speech, I stated that Olomu Efon loves the conglomeration
of people. His notion is always to form a larger community and we all know
that when the community gets larger, they would enjoy the advantage of many
good things together. By his invitation at that time they adopted a common
name, Omuaran that is Omu and Aran joined together as a community.
By reason of the place of Eesa and a prominent part of the king making
process and second in command to the throne, what of a crisis between Olomu
and Eesa?
I doubt if such can happen, but if it does, the elders in the community
will quickly wade in because it will be devastating to the development of
Omuaran as a community but essentially, the Eesa is educated and matured,
just like I am too. Matters are best settled with maturity and
understanding bearing the interest of the people at heart. Both of us have
come a long way together even when we were nobodies, we dealt with each
other based on mutual respect and we are fond of each other.
Let’s talk about your marriage, how did you meet your first wife?
Do you think I have many wives? No, I have just one wife for now. As a
Muslim, I am entitled to four wives and as a traditional ruler, I am
entitled to marry between up to ten wives, but for now I have only one. I
don’t want to be too assertive, only God knows tomorrow. Haven said that I
must emphasize that I will like to stick to only the one that I have
because I don’t want a problem for myself and she is the only one since we
got married. She has been a wife and a mother to me and also to her
children. She is very supportive; I see no reason to be looking for another
wife. So as to how we met; I always have the passion for ladies with very
long hair, os I first saw her at a social gathering. Then I asked a friend
to tell me about her and he told me what he knew about her but didn’t want
to tell me enough because as at then I had two or three other girlfriends
and one of them happens to be related to that my friend. Since I know her
name and her description, I was hoping that we would meet again someday,
but as fate would have it, I wet to see a younger brother of mine and asked
her about the then girl with all descriptions and that my brother said that
he knows her and incidentally, she lives close to his environment. I got a
description of her house and went to see her. On my first visit, she
welcomes me partially but told me that she has someone she was dating and I
told her that I don’t mind and that if at her age she doesn’t have a
suitor, then something must be wrong with her. She told me that I should
not come to see her again and I replied to her that I will keep coming and
that the worse that would happen is for her not to welcome me. I continue
paying her a visit until she later started welcoming me and allow me into
her brother’s sitting room as her guest because she lives with her brother
then. Luckily for me, the guy she was dating was not from Omuaran and her
mother had told her that she would never welcome anyone outside Omuaran as
her husband, so when she told her mother about me and with my father’s
popularity in Omuaran, everyone she told about me readily welcomes the idea
of our union. My people also welcome her and that was how we started until
we got married.
When you met your wife, what was the first attraction?
Naturally, in my family, one thing is common, bald head. We usually don’t
have hair on our head. As I told you, I followed a brother to a ceremony
where we met her, when I saw her, I noticed that she had long hair, which
dropped down to her back and it was all natural. She didn’t add any
attachment to her hair. But I have a bald head; it was the long hair she
had that attracted me to her. I did not initially know that she was a
Muslim but after making enquiries; I realised that she was a Muslim because
of her name. My father took me to a Christian school but he told me that I
should not change my religion. Today, most of my friends are Christians and
one of my closest friends is Israel Oyedepo, a member of Cherubim and
Seraphim Church. Though, I make friends with both Christians and Muslims,
my father’s instruction did not let me change my religion. His wishes,
persistently sounded in my ears were that I don’t change his religion. I
had my primary school education at St. Paul Primary School and had my
secondary school education at Government Secondary School, Ilorin and that
was where I had the opportunity to learn Quran and Arabic language. So, I
have the opportunity to learn the Bible and the Quran which have helped and
guided me in life.
As a handsome young man, how did you cope with admirers when you were
younger?
I am hearing this from you for the first time that I am a handsome man. I
passed through youthful age like every other youth. I had no problem with
admirers. I had girlfriends but after I met my wife, I stayed with her.
It is on record that you pioneered house numbering in Omuaran, what
informed of that decision?
My profession motivated me. When you leave in an environment where you have
clusters of houses, we call something as houses being legible, just like
handwriting houses may not be legible but have numbers. If you number your
houses, sharing of mails will be easy to respective location, in crime
prevention will be greatly assisted, it also help in property rating. It is
so important, we did it in 1983/84 but some people read political meanings
to it. They were trying to score the pass mark. They wanted to claim the
success as theirs so it was aborted. But I was able to produce a sketch
plan of Omuaran town.
How did your people view the exercise then?
It was well applauded. A similar exercise later came after that one , you
see the problem with us in Yoruba settlement is that we like titles. Some
people like big titles; they want hierarchy of chiefs and seniority in
those hierarchies. Some were biased, standing against the success of the
project are those that believe that their names did not appear on the
street naming such that the exercise had to be cancelled. So till now, most
f the streets were not named. As the Chief executive at the planning
office, I put in lot of efforts towards it but unfortunately, it was
politicized just as it happened in my community, some people wanted to take
the glory. Aside that there were many consultants, that came to my office
but who were just telling white lies about it. They presented what is not
practicable. Some submitted their Dossier, or call it Profiles in house
numbering promising that they could make N300billion for the government by
doing house numbering and I wondered how was that possible? You see, all
things being equal, it ought to be the function of local government council
and that of the state government but the state government having the
expertise, people with the technical knowhow, I partnered for a synergy
with my local government to do street naming, I started with what I call
piecemeal approach to house numbering, that is why you can see some houses
numbered at Basin road, Gaa Akanbi but that is not the real global house
numbering.
Was it government that didn’t show interest or lack of funding that
frustrated the plans?
Government has interest in it, they even believe in Public Private
Partnership, PPP but there are some factors, some interesting parties I
will not want o speak much on these. Government having a good sharing
formula, 75/25, 25/75 or whichever way they agree is okay for Government/
PPP partnering but some interest parties frustrated it. All that is
required for this to succeed is very simple thing; good sensitization of
house owners on the advantages of the operation and how much they need to
pay to get it done. Most people will even be happy that their houses are
numbered. If as much as one thousand five hundred is charged people will
gladly participate. If I was given an appropriate take off grant, I would
have finished with all the houses in Ilorin but the consultants that were
eager to make more money from government caused a flop, Their intension was
to invite corporate bodies to come and pay for it so that they can make
junk money and put in their accounts.
Back to your people, what is the unique thing about Omuaran people?
Omuaran people are predominantly hard working people. Talking about
Omuaran, you are talking about education and commerce. In Lagos, you will
see our people in their numbers. The slogan “Owo lee je” that is it will
cost money was started by our people in Lagos Omuaran is not lagging behind
at all. When Kwara State was born in 1967/68Omuaran produced two Permanent
Secretaries, so in terms of education, we are not lagging behind. In
commerce, we are at the forefront. In farming, go to Ile- Ife, Dagbaja, Aba
Jesha, Sekona you have our people there as Cocoa farmers and doing
tremendously well. Just like I put it an average Omuaran man is a
hardworking person.
Are these the reasons you see Omuaran people as special?
Yes, when you talk about Omuaran as a people, you are talking about
Integrity, hard work and diligence. In the commerce and Industry we were
pioneers. One of our indigenes, late chief Salimonu Owolewa was the first
to establish a steel rolling mail in the whole of Northern Nigeria. It was
established in Ilorin, it was called the Kwara Commercial Metal and
Chemical Industry, KCMC, it was behind old Philip Moris factory at Gaa
Imam, Ilorin. It was in this company that steel and Iron rods were first
produced in the whole of northern Nigeria. That company started in 1977 in
Ilorin. Chie Owolewa was a co director at Universal Steel, Ogba in Lagos
before coming to establish the one at Ilorin then. In the field of
education, the first graduate of Mathematics in the entire Northern
Nigeria, Chief Samuel Adeniyi Oladunmade is from Omuaran. He is an Oxford
University graduate of 1954. He is still alive. He was the first black
Principal of St Paul’s Anglican College, Zaria, Kaduna State; It is a
missionary school. The first Actuarial Scientist in the entire Northern
Nigeria was Chief Elisha Adebisi Fabiyi, the Chief Executve of Everyman and
Company, an insurance broken firm. This same Chief Adebiyi established
Kwara Investment Company, KINCO, in 1967. In 1968 he was the pioneer
General Manager, kwara Investment Corporation and retired in 1975 on
Permanent Secretary Grade; he is still alive. Omuaran people still dominate
the iron rod merchandize in Lagos till date. Our people are hardworking and
reliable.
What are the traditional and cultural events for which Omuaran is well
known?
I told you earlier, our ancestral home is Ile Ife therefore whatever you
find at Ile Ife is replicated here in Omuaran. Egungun worshippers and
their festival. Though some of the masquerades no longer come out but Eegun
Elewe is still waxing strong. Others like Sango, Obatala, Orisa Oko, Enle
ile and several others. There is usually an adage in Yoruba “Ebi yi o
npani ju to loosa oko lo,” meaning that an Olosa Oko worshipper might be
very hungry, he or she would not dare touch his harvested new yam until the
festival is performed. Several other festivals still hold.
These cultural and traditional practices, what are their implications or
importance to Omuaran town?
For example, with the Egungun festival it is believed that every other
year, fathers in heaven will descend and come to the earth on a visitation
and the way to welcome them is the practice of masquerade, the Egungun.
There is a compound in Omuaran that is called the custodian of Egungun. We
even have an adage “Aafin lagba omu” signifying that the Masqurade seniors
Omuaran because it was brought all the way from Oyo to Omuaran. By 2019
there would be another Egungun festival in Omuaran and by culture the Olomu
must produce an Egungun Elewe from his compound. This is what makes the
ruling house significance, not all ruling houses produce this Egungun
except the one on the throne. The ones you see several masquerades come on,
those are just to entertain the people and guests. You will see them on my
installation day. Those that come out at such occasion just adds glamour to
occasions. There is also this Egungun by hunters called “Layewu.” Layewu is
also among the Egungun that still come out every other year, though not
very regular.
Is there any known taboo in Omuaran?
In those days, they don’t sell pounded yam in Omuaran, but now it is a
common sight. You find it everywhere and that makes the place homely for
our visitors. You find “kolobe” swallow food without soup which anyone can
buy and go home to eat with his or her own soup. Once you have your soup at
home, you will find what to eat it with cheaply. When Omuaran became
headquarters of Igbomina Ekiti division our people had to do something
about the taboo culture. An average settler that live in Omuaran for up to
three months will not like to return to his place because food is
accessible and cheap here. The hospitality rate of our people is so high,
we are welcoming and warmly.
Coming back to you ascension to the throne, can you tell us some of the
traditional rites performed during that period?
Well, there were traditional rites that were performed but none was a
diabolical. One such is the traditional seven days stay with Eesa, the
second I command to the throne. That period is called Ipebi. During that
seven day, the Eesa will host the new Oba for seven days. The tradition is
neither diabolical nor a fetish type like I said earlier. It’s a period of
teach the new Oba how to conduct himself in public, how to respond to
issues, and about hierarchy of Chief. The Chiefs will be introduced to him
and he will be taught to know the Ologuns, that is warriors, Irejes,
Warefas ,and other issues about the town. My experience while I was at
Ipebi, you know I told you that I work as a Town Planner. I can visit up to
ten cites in a day, it was at Ipebi that I got to know that my movement
will be limited and that I cannot go out as I like. My Eesa caged me in a
room, I was not even allowed to watch television. I accepted it all because
it is tradition that must be respected and followed. As early as the third
day I had become used to it and I don’t even come out again. It is in the
room where I was caged that those Chiefs ad Warrior came to pay a visit and
were introduced to me. Ipebi is a period of teaching the Oba elect about
the people, culture and tradition.
Is there any aspect of your experience at Ipebi that you want abolished or
modified?
No, I told you that there was nothing diabolic about the rites. These
foreign religions Islam and Christianity have changed many things and the
diabolic aspect of most cultures have been changed. May be in those days,
there were culture of using human as sacrifice but now to even use a goat
as sacrifice is not even acceptable. There is nothing sacred about the
rite. We pray in Jesus name and in the name of Allah, there at Ipebi.
What are the things that changed in your life since you ascended the throne?
One of such things was my freedom that is no longer there, moving out of
the palace to greet friends was no longer possible, I can only send
emissaries. Sometimes I feel personally moved to pay the visit but I just
wouldn’t be allowed. For example when we lost the first Governor of kwara
State, Brigadier General Lasisi David Bamigboye, it was painful to everyone
and because I am well known to some of the family members, I wanted to pay
condolence visit especially mama Moniyepe that I was very close to but I
was not allowed to go. It pained me so much I wanted to see this woman in
person to commiserate with her but I was not allowed to go. I sent a high
powered delegation yet I was not satisfied. Since it is the tradition that
prevents me from going, I had to stay back. It was a few days back that I
called her on phone and she said that she understands my situation and that
I should not worry, the bottom line is I am no longer a free man. I cannot
join my brother in their ceremony, sit down wine and dine with them or pay
a visit and determine to sleep in a friend’s house, that can never happen
again. Every aspect of my life is now moderated.
How are you able to strike a balance between socializing and your role as a
traditional ruler?
Here in Omuaran I was a member of the Unique Club, incidentally the late
Kabiyesi too was a member but on ascension to the throne I am now father
figure over all, no longer to be seen as a member but as a father. Even my
professional institute level, I was the immediate Chairman of Kwara State
chapter and member of national council but ever since I became Oba I have
not been able to join them, but as time goes on, I will find a way of being
with them even if once in a while but certainly, it cannot be as it used to
be.
As a certified Town planner, do you still consult in respect of your field
of specialization?
I am a fellow of the institute, my number is 265. Yes, they still call me
to me, you see, it is an acquired knowledge. As, my former staff in the
Town Planning still call me to ask how to go about certain issues and I
respond.
Kabiyesi, thank you for giving us your attention.
You are most welcome.