The palace of the Olorooruwo of Orooruwo, Osun State, now wears a new look and the traditional ruler, Oba Kamarudeen Adeyemi Bello, says the palace is the mirror of a town, hence the facelift. In this interview by TUNDE BUSARI, Oba Bello speaks on varied issues.
THE new look of your palace gives an impression that an occasion will hold here…
It is very important we get something clear and the thing is that the palace is the mirror of a town. It tells about the personality of the occupier, that is the Oba. Given this reason, I am always of the opinion that the palace must always be in good state. Here is the first port of call of important personalities such as governors, ministers, commissioners and even the president. They say first impression lasts long. Because of this, a traditional ruler must not compromise the standard of how the palace should look like at all times. I am expressing my appreciation to my people in this regard for their understanding.
Traditional rulers are said to be above all their subjects. How true or otherwise is this?
Again, we have to get things clear. We have to understand the fact that traditional rulers are representatives of God on earth. This must guide what we do at all time. How can you say we are above all our subjects? That is fallacy. We are not above our subjects. We are traditional rulers because of our subjects. We are traditional rulers to guide them and guide them right. If you say we are the umbrella which covers our subjects, I will agree with you. But from the context of your question, it sounds as if we are their alpha and omega. No! Nobody can rival the power and authority of God almighty. So, we are not above them. Yes, we are their royal fathers, but this does not make us above them. It is God that chooses whomever He wants to become His representative. That is what I tell everybody about the throne. It should not be seen as a do-or-die thing because it is not.
Are you recalling the circumstance under which you became the Olorooruwo?
You are right. Desperation does not take you there. It is only the will of God. I was not around when my name was selected. That is to tell you about my approach to the throne. But when God had willed it, I was chosen. And this experience is what guides me in my deeds and actions. Everything belongs to God.
What has the throne taught you, in terms of life lesson?
I think I have mentioned it. The throne has taught me that royalty must go with humility. You must not say because you are in this position today, you are all-in- all. Doing that is not showing appreciation to God who made you what you are. Let your people see the symbol of God, the father of all, in you. Be open as much as you can. This will always bail you out during difficult times. This is my guiding principle and I am happy it is working for me.
It is said that traditional rulers spend a lot of money in the palace. How true is this?
You don’t need to be told that we spend money here in the palace. We have to spend because of the responsibilities God has placed on us. Let me give you an instance. One evening, I was under the tree here when a strange woman entered the palace. She looked worried and asked for me. She explained that she was stranded on her way to Ogotun-Ekiti. My aides listened to her and said Kabiyesi was not around. I quickly interrupted and said ‘Kabiyesi is around’. Of course, she did not know me. I gave her the little I had and she was very happy and prayed and left. The palace is open to all. That is why we spend money.
But does what comes at the end of the month commensurate with the spending?
I want to seek your permission not to go into details of that. And what, I think, is important is that we should be contented and live within our means. That people come for one help or the other does not mean we should go beyond our capability. It does not mean one should involve himself in what is not right in order to satisfy those demands.
Is it then safe to encourage traditional rulers to engage in enterprises to support monthly income?
Once there is no law that bans traditional rulers, like others, to engage in legitimate business, I see no reason we should not do it. We have to consider the fact that traditional rulers come from some professional background. We may not be actively involved again because of the demand of the throne, but we must not completely detach ourselves from our sources of income. This will always give us a relief and also a cushion against financial pressure.
Is government failing in its dealings with traditional rulers?
I am not given to dabbling into this kind of debate. I detest controversial talks because of the likelihood of leading to misrepresentation. But I must say this: The traditional institution today is not the same of the pre-colonial era. Things have changed and a traditional ruler must be seen to understand this and act within this understanding. It is not a matter of being fair or not. We should not forget that the governor signs the letter that appoints a traditional ruler. What does this mean to you? That is contemporary government for you.
How would you rate the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola?
There is no way I will assess him in isolation of the situation in the country. We have to be fair with ourselves and be realistic too. The capital projects we see are enormous. I pass through them and wondered how he came about those massive projects. The standard he has set is going to challenge his successors to do better.
You must have missed teaching.
I must be honest with you, impacting knowledge has been my way, right from childhood. I don’t see teaching as a calling anymore. I see it as my life. That is why you come here and meet me talking. It is not that I love to talk; it is that I love to share knowledge and also learn more from others. I can conveniently say the palace is a higher class because of series of meetings I attend and issues discussed on daily basis.
Can we say teaching prepared you for the palace?
You are correct. I find it easy to talk during the meetings. I must also say that I am blessed with experienced chiefs. They complement me well. In fact, I often refer matters to them, based on their age and experience in traditional administration.
One issue that always brings traditional rulers into the bad book of their subjects is chieftaincy matters. What do you think should be done about it?
My candid opinion about chieftaincy matter is that traditional rulers should not allow their people to give them bad name because of their choice. They should be conscious of their name. Wisdom is very important in the matter. And transparency is most important. Once these are done, you can go to bed and enjoy your sleep. There is something I call the Aragbiji Formula. This principle washes the hands of the traditional institution clean of any problem from the families. The screening committee is there to perform its duty without fear or favour, after which it makes its recommendation known. At the end of the day, everybody will see that nothing was hidden.
and then