The Olowu of Kuta in Osun State, Oba Hameed Adekunle Oyelude Makama Tegbosun III, speaks on the impact of his reign on his domain, the Yoruba traditional institution, among other issues, in this interview by TUNDE AYANDA and SEGUN ADEBAYO.
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, said in a reent interview that the powers of traditional rulers have been whittled down because of the influence of government on the enthronement of an Oba. What is your take on his submission?
I don’t believe that the powers of traditional rulers have been whittled down by politicians but the decadence of our culture has made a mess of things. For instance, our sons and daughters have failed to project our culture the way it should be projected. In Yorubaland, no Oba gets crowned in the church or the mosque. The crowning of an Oba is done solely in the traditional way.
So, if you see any traditional ruler in the South West that says he is an emir, you should know that that is a misnomer. It is the same way a traditional ruler in this zone cannot call himself Pope or Reverend. The instrument of authority given by the state governments to Obas, beginning the the Ooni and the Alaafin down to where it ends, what you hear is that you are hereby appointed a traditional ruler to promote culture and tradition. As aristocratic as it is, from one generation to another, what we are told is that traditional rulers must promote culture and tradition. In the North, South East and South South, traditional rulers still maintain a semblance of culture and tradition. But same can’t be said of some traditional rulers in the South West. However, some of us who believe in the richness and beauty of our culture and tradition will not allow them to be eroded.
The Oluwo also said that Yoruba Obas are not selected by Ifa anymore; thattheir fate now rests in the hands of governors of their states. What do you make of that claim?
I will not be replying Oluwo because he is the present leader of the Iwo Traditional Council. Administratively, I am part of the Iwo Traditional Council but I disagree with the leadership. He is entitled to his opinion. But I was selected by Ifa, among others. Any Oba that is not selected by Ifa will be misbehaving and will not have a peaceful and prosperous reign. Those who were not selected by Ifa, ask them if they have achieved anything other than controversy. I spent 99 days in seclusion. I completed all the rituals. Those that were not selected by Ifa, you will see how things go wrong for them.
If you were picked by Ifa, what role did the state government play in making you the Oba of Kuta?
There is a process in the selection of the prince that will become the Oba. It starts from the family. After the family meeting, statutorily attended bythe local government authorities, the next is that the decision is forwarded to the state government for final approval. In my own case, 18 other princes contested against me. That is what they call chieftaincy declaration. Chieftaincy declaration is a gazette. Anytime there is a vacancy, the kingship will be rotated among the established royal families. In my own case, we have four ruling houses, Tegbosun, Lanloye, Deleoye and Adelumo. Tegbosun is the eldest. That is why I am Tegbosun III. I am a direct descendant of the founder of the town.
When my predecessor passed on, about nine of my brothers and cousins showed interest in replacing him. In the declaration, when there is no eligible male, declaration permits the female offspring. The Mogajis of the four ruling houses came together and invited the Araba. They asked Ifa who should lead the family. They asked Ifa different questions and they said I was the best among the candidates. From four names, they asked the kingmakers to choose one. Of all the kingmakers consulted, only one disagreed; others gave their votes to me. My selection was traditionally done, without government’s intervention. They sent my name to Osogbo for the governor to ratify, and the government ratified what the community had recommended.
Neither the Qur’an nor the Bible is used to determine who becomes an Oba in Yorubaland, and neither the PDP nor the APC can be used. The state government is the approving authority, but there is a process that must be followed before an Oba is declared.
What were the hurdles you faced before you were declared the King of Owu-Kuta?
I faced a political hurdle. The then governor, who is my good friend, Rauf Aregbesola, wanted to sign the approval in council at that time, but the then Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Adeoti, who is from Iwo, and one of my sons, a former member of the National Assembly, Akanbi, came together. That was 11 years ago. They said if I became the Olowu, I would erode all their legacies as a party. They said I was too close to General Babangida and that I was rich. They said I would not allow the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to thrive. They asked the governor to make me swear an oath not to erase the legacies of the ACN or they would not allow me to become the Olowu.
I travelled to Minna to meet my mentor, General Babangida. I told him they said I should swear an oath of allegiance with the ACN before I could be made the Oba of my town. He told me he would meet Bola Tinubu, who is our President today, so he could speak to Governor Aregbesola on my behalf. I told him that Aregbesola had demonstrated willingness to do the needful but the party leadership in the state was kicking because I was close to him. Babangida told me that no party would survive more than eight years; that I should do what they requested of me in order not to lose my inheritance. I called the then SSG and we met with other party leaders and it was done. But to God be the glory, I didn’t betray the party, the party betrayed me. The day the ACN transformed into the APC, the oath ended. I said anything the party wanted, I would do and they also said they would do whatever Kabiyesi and his kingdom wanted. But they never did. If I requested for 10 things, they would do one, but if they requested for 20 things, I gave them 25. That is a matter for another day. So, anybody who tells you that the Ifa (Oracle) has no say in kingship is wrong.
Nigerians have been groaning over the removal of fuel subsidy which has caused prices of goods and services to go up, with no palliatives in place. Do you think the fuel subsidy removal was right and timely?
There were no two ways to it: subsidy had to go. We were just enriching a few people. Go to Transcorp in Abuja, you will see some people there who never step outside that hotel. They have billions of dollars. They had been living fat on our subsidy whereas you and I were suffering. People say in exclamation, N500 for a liter of petrol? How much do you buy a bottle of beer? Do the analysis. A bottle of beer is about N500. It depends on the location. If you go to Sheraton, Ikeja, a bottle of beer is above N500. And we are now saying fuel should be subsidised. Why should we continue enriching a few people? Let subsidy be removed if the proceeds that will accrue from its removal will be utilised for projects that will have direct bearing on the generality of the masses. It was the elites that were confusing Nigerians that it was not right to remove fuel subsidy. Former President, Goodluck Jonathan attempted to remove it, the elites convinced us it was bad and we should resist it. But now, we cannot keep on postponing the evil day; let them remove it.
A lot of non-stake actors like Asari Dokubo and others across the country have been known to demand one thing or another from the government. Nigerians saw how, in Abuja, Dokubo levelled weighty allegations against the military, particularly the navy and the army, accusing them of oil theft, among other crimes. How did you feel about his comment?
You will recall that I condemned the action of our son, Asari Dokubo. Firstly, there is nothing wrong in Dokubo visiting Mr President. He is eminently qualified as a Nigerian to visit Mr President and it is the right of Mr President to associate with whomever he wishes to see. But a number of things are wrong with that visitation. The use of the presidential press gallery with the Coat of Arms and seal of Nigeria by a non-state actor like Dokubo is wrong. It is wrong to hold a press conference demonising and condemning our military. It put the president in a tight corner. The president needs the military to strengthen his government.
While the government was being transferred to President Tinubu at the Eagle Square, the APC flag was not handed over to him, the PDP flag was not handed over to him, the Labour Party flag was not handed over to him, the Armed Forces flag was what was handed to him. So, how can people like Asari take a knife and be tearing that flag? It is unacceptable. If you have a credible intelligence to pass to Mr President, you have got your chance and time. Coming out and saying he has sacked one person or some persons are coming is absolutely wrong. Why are you preempting the president? Does that mean that tomorrow, MC Oluomo is free to say he wants to go and use the gallery, and next tomorrow, another non-state actor from the east is also free to do that? That is so wrong. I expect the defence intelligence to have picked him up already. He should answer some questions. We should try and insulate Mr President because the international community is watching. No country that knows what it is doing will joke with its defence and security. That is the strength of every government and country. He is our son, we like him, but he should not do such a thing again .
What prepared you for Obaship and how did you ascend to the throne?
There is a proverb in Yorubaland that ‘Omo ale ni dukia baba re o kii wu’, i.e., it is only a bastard that is not enamoured by his inheritance. So, if you are a true born of your parents, you will cherish your father’s property, even if it is a rag. I was just like any other prince but I didn’t let nobility get into my head. Many people did not know that I was Yoruba. Even during the approval at the state executive council, when I was nominated, they had to call me during the state exco, they asked the SSG to call me. The SSG called me saying, We are at the approval stage, but Mr Governor declined to approve the name ‘Makama’. I was hearing the governor’s voice in the background. The man Aregbesola wanted the Yoruba culture to be respected and preserved. He didn’t joke with it. Many people did not know I was a prince, much less hailing from this ancient community. My grandfather ruled for 24 years and my great grandfather ruled for almost 100 years. Oyelude ruled for 24 years. He had five male children. My father was the last born. My father never ascended to the throne. Oyelude passed away in 1954. The throne rotated back to our house in 2012 after leaving it in 1954, Providence tossed it back upon us. Here you are in front of the Olowu. From the very first day, I had been prepared mentally and physically. Like I told you, I followed all the due spiritual processes. I never evaded one. I spent 99 days in seclusion. I had a covenant with the soil, with my ancestors, and I had one with God Almighty, the Creator.
How did you meet former Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, as one could see his pictures pasted all over your palace walls?
Providence joined us together. I would not want to talk about it now, maybe later in my memoir. No politician has given as many jobs or employments to Iwo people like the military.
But you are close to for Governor Aregbesola who later became a minister. Why couldn’t you get what you wanted through him?
How do you measure a traditional ruler’s influence? I am not talking about the noise you hear up and down. Former governor Aregbesola is close to me but I never got any jobs from him in eight years. An Oba is not crowned to be romancing politicians but to maintain and guard tradition.
There is a new governor in Osun State now, what is your relationship with him?
I am a pro-establishment man and I will keep supporting the government of the day.
To you, what kind of person is General Babangida?
IBB is a genius. We can only have his type once in a generation. He did so much for Nigeria, particularly the South West. We haven’t had any other leader that empowered men and women like IBB. He created Osun State, the Third Mainland Bridge, the DSS and many more.
There was a time you spearheaded a campaign to bring IBB back. What happened at that time?
A lot of people expected him but between him and his boss, our own Balogun of Owu, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, military politics came into play and he came out and said he was withdrawing. It takes a man like IBB to do that.
You have brought class and glory to the throne, what has this throne done for you?
The throne doesn’t need not to do something special for me. Up to today, a hectare of land in Kuta still sells N200,000. In Lekki, Elegushi or Oniriu, a plot sells for N500 million. If I need N20 million here, I will have to sell a whole section of the community. The throne has not made me richer, but I will continue to use my time, influence and everything God has given me to move Kuta forward.
You look so energetic and fit. Is there a secret to that?
Many people say so. Firstly, I am restless. I am on the move every day. But there is one thing: inner peace. I don’t keep malice and I drank alcohol before I quit two years ago.
Why did you stop?
For my health.
What is your perception of kingship and how should it be run?
A king must be able to tolerate elders and I am a traditional ruler who believes in polygamy.
So, you are likely to follow in the footsteps of the Ooni by marrying many wives?
Ooni is the head, so I can’t compete with him in any way, especially when it comes to the number of wives he can marry. I will marry more women but not up to the number the Ooni married. He is the source and we respect and love him. He is the head of all the kings.
How did ‘Makama’ surface in your name, Kabiyesi?
Makama is the name of my guardian in the North. When I wanted to be registered in school, we discovered that admission had ended. So, my guardian wrote a letter to the principal of the school, who decided to add Makama to my name which I have kept up to today.
You seem to have a close relationship with the Nigerian Army. Were you ever a military man?
I was born in the barracks because my father was a soldier. I was supposed to attend the Nigeria Military School (NMS), but after they examined me, I was declared medically unfit.
Why were you declared medically unfit?
I had a big navel and you can’t join the army if you have one as big as mine. I really wanted to join the army but my navel was too big at that time. It got me disqualified.
Do you regret not joining the army?
I don’t regret it because in my capacity as the Olowu of Kuta, I operate like a General. The passion never dies. I am still with them and we have a very cordial relationship.
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