In 2019, Okeluse in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo state registered its name in the list of communities where minors become traditional rulers with the ascension of 16 year old Senior Secondary II student, Oba Adeyeoba Oloyede Adekoya, Akinghare II,who was enthroned as the new Ojima Arujale of Okeluse.
At 16, many children would be having fun with other kids but not for Oba Adeyeoba, as he had been crowned king and traditional ruler of Okeluse at such a tender age, following the death of his father.
The kingship fell on Oba Oloyede Adekoya as the only son out of four children of his late father who was the monarch of the town. Since the tradition of the ancient town demands the first son of the monarch who passed on should automatically ascend the throne, the teenager was left with no option other than to become the traditional ruler of the town.
The kingmakers of the town wasted no time in pronouncing Adeyeoba as the new traditional ruler of Okeluse, while the state government expressly approved the choice of the people of the town.
But a source close to the kingmakers explained that the community decided to pick the 16-year-old new king, who is the only son of the late monarch, in order not leave any vacuum as they believed that delaying his coronation till he is of age could set the stage for manipulation.
He however explained that the leaders of the community took precautions to avoid crisis and made the first daughter of the late king a Regent, first time such would happen in the history of the town, while the heir would go into seclusion.
“When an Okeluse Oba joins his ancestors, his immediate younger brother becomes the Eleki or a regent, who acts as a regent till the Oba “elect” returns from seclusion. But our late monarch had a son. The family thought it would be dangerous to have a man among the brothers of the late Oba as a regent because he may not want to relinquish power in the future.
“The regent or Eleki is Princess Aderonke Adeyeoba, the late king’s first daughter. So far, the transition has been very peaceful and smooth. In Okeluse, the Obaship title is from father to son. It is the Oba’s family who exclusively handles the installation of a new Oba in Okeluse. The young son will go back to school and by the grace of God to the university so that the institution will not tie him down” he said
Oba Adeyeoba, before heading for seclusion, demanded that he should be allowed to conclude his education and was granted before being sent into seclusion for 90 days where he underwent traditional rites.
Speaking on his journey to the throne, the young monarch described it as unexpected as it came too soon. The young and shy monarch said he has been adapting to his new status after he finished with secondary school education and learning the ropes from the traditional Chiefs.
“I was born in Benin City (Edo State). Later, we came to Okeluse where l actually grew up. I attended primary school here, and for secondary education, l attended Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigidi-Akoko where l just finished,” the king said.
On his enthronement, Oba Adeyeoba said “I was very much surprised when appointed because I was very young then. It looked like a dream; I was in school then in JSS 3. It was a Tuesday morning, they told me in school then that my dad said I should come home. I was surprised and asked myself, what was going on,
“The reason is that I went home only when we had holidays, so saying my dad asked me to come home was strange and surprising to me. Though I knew he was in hospital then, I didn’t know he had passed on. They told my guardian not to tell me. Actually, I was 15 years plus during my enthronement because it was two months to my 16th birthday. The tradition of my town stipulates that the first male child of the reigning king is automatically the successor of the king and, in my own case; I’m the only male child in our family. That is how I became king and succeeded my late father,” Oba Adeyeoba stated.
He however, said he was left with no other option than to ascend the throne after his father but said he begged the kingmakers to allow him to complete his education and had to return to his school in Ikare Akoko to complete his secondary school education.
“I had to return to the boarding house (in school); so I stayed in school. I had people doing things in the palace for me while l was away in school, and if it was necessary for me to be present, l would quickly leave school and come back as soon as possible. At times they call, to get final answers and approval on some issues.
“At times, l would go for meetings and come back to school. Every last Tuesday of the month, I would go for traditional rulers meeting and if there was an occasion that I needed to attend, I would attend and return to school,” he explained.
Asked if the school authorities allowed him to skip lectures to attend to community assignments, he said “the school knew my position in the community and they released me whenever I asked for permission. I attended the last meeting of the 130 Crown Obas with the governor which was held in Akure recently.”
The young monarch disclosed that he was spared from punishment because of his royal status, but said his position did not affect his relationship with his teachers, friends and classmates, noting some few restrictions after he was crowned as the King of Okeluse.
“l played with everybody but when I became king, there were little changes with the way I related. For instance, we used to play and touch one another’s head before but that stopped. Also, before, when l wanted to greet teachers in the morning, l would bow down but I stopped bowing down because of tradition,” he explained.
On his relationship with female friends, Oba Adeyeoba Oloyede Adekoya said he has female friends but wants to get more mature before delving into any relationship. He disclosed that as a king, he is expected to marry more than one wife when the time comes.
“For now I don’t really like to talk to girls, so to woo a lady is hard for me because if you see me you will know I am a shy person’” he said, adding that he will marry more than one wife as “it is compulsory, I will marry more than one wife. In our tradition here, it is compulsory for a king to have more than one wife because the first wife, if she has a male child, the male child will become the next king and the second wife’s first male child will become what we call Eleki and, if the first wife does not have a male child and the second wife has, it is the first male child of the second wife that will become the next king.”
He disclosed that the throne has made him to trade his freedom, saying “I don’t move around any longer. I stay in the palace though it is somehow boring. When I was in school, I played with my friends but when at home I don’t have them around me. Movement is restricted because of my present status. I love playing football, but can’t anymore. I love to sing and l also like playing Ludo game but now I can only do those hobbies in the palace.”
Coping with the throne, he said “It has not been really easy but God is always in control. He has been guiding me through. I am not used to this kind of life before but I have been coping. I have been asking questions from my Chiefs (who are elderly) on things to do and they are putting me through. When I became king, it was strange to see people prostrating for me, it looks odd seeing elderly people prostrating for me, it looks weird, but when i was told it is part of culture, I just have to adapt to it.
“I thank them. I do ask our leaders questions on what to do on many things, they would advise me: I take to their advice. I understand the tradition, but I’m still learning to know more every day,” he said, adding that he has plans to further his education and had sat for UTME to study Public Administration. He disclosed that his favourite subject while in secondary school was Christian Religious Study (CRS).
“It became my favourite subject when I was in JSS3, after my dad taught me how to read the Bible very well. The subject i didn’t like is Mathematics, it used to be my best subject in junior class but when I became a king, all those things just left and it was getting hard for me but I had B3 in Mathematics in my WAEC.
“I want to go to the university. I have written the UTME. I want to study public administration. I would have loved to become an engineer. I was in the science class and some people also advised me to study law but I don’t like law. So I later left the science class for the art class.
On his plans, he expressed happiness that the community has been witnessing developments during his reign. He noted that there was no light in the community for about six years, but said with the help of the people of Okeluse, light has been restored in the community.
“My cardinal plan is to bring development to my community, to bring investors to this place and make it develop more. The people of my community have really been giving me support since I ascended the throne. I really thank them for this. Also there was no communication network before, but now we have network. Now, we can call, chat on our phones unlike before. I will also like to use this opportunity to call on well-meaning Okeluse sons and daughters to come home and develop the town.
“I will like to appreciate the state government for what they have done for our community but I will also want them to do more. I will want the state government to reconstruct the bridge that links the community with Benin road on Edo state. We need hospital here to take care of our people instead of taking people to Ifon for treatment.
“I also want the state government to help me in the renovation of my palace because the palace needs help, it’s an ancient palace and I will be glad if the state government can assist in the renovation of this palace,” he requested.
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