Every prince aspires to be king —Oba Oyedotun, Orangun of Ila

Oba Abdulwahab Oyedotun, the Orangun of Ila-Orangun in Osun State, in this interview by OVOSI OTARU, spoke about his 15 years on the throne, his achievements and dream for his kingdom. Excerpts:

Kabiyesi, how will you describe your 15 years journey on the throne?

God has been gracious to me and my family as well as the entire people of Ila-Orangun in general. We have been blessed with peace, progress and meaningful and impactful divine direction.

What was your life like before ascending the throne?

I give glory to God and my late parents. I was a graduate teacher and I worked in various schools before my ascension to the throne of Ila-Orangun. Being a mathematics teacher, I was full of aspirations and working towards getting to the peak of my professional calling.

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While you were young, was there any prediction to the effect that you will become a king?

Every male child born into the royal family aspires to be king someday but it is the Almighty God that makes dreams come through.

Kabiyesi, could you take us through the process that led to your emergence as Orangun of Ila-Orangun?

Yes, it is the usual Yoruba traditional process of kingship that is peculiar to Ila-Orangun. The process could be summarised thus: the announcement of the demise of the immediate late king for which a period of mourning will be observed. Letters will trickle in from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs calling for the filling of the vacant stool. Princes, especially the princes of the ruling houses whose turn it is to produce the next king, will converge at the Alasan’s quarter, being their leader. Interested candidates will be screened through interviews and more for the selection of the best candidates.

Selected candidates are referred to the Ode-Ilu where the High Chiefs and kingmakers consult the Ifa oracle to select the best candidate. This is usually a short period as the constituting members are always bombarded with petitions to lure them into choosing some candidates. The name of the chosen candidate will be submitted to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for final approval by the government.

What are your achievements so far?

The achievements are just too numerous but for the purpose of this interview,  we can mention these few: modernisation of the palace to befit the status of the stool of the Orangun. Rapid development of new communities in Ila kingdom with installation of Baales in the new areas. Upgrading of the various schools in Ila and the creation of new Local Council Development Associations in addition to the existing ones in the old Local Government.

Construction of road from Ila to Ekànmeje in Kwara State by the Federal Government is on- going. Upgrading of electricity facilities in the town has brought about huge improvement in electricity supply to the town. The upgrading of some health facilities and construction of some new ones has improved health care services. This is to mention a few, including security.

There cannot be achievements without challenges, what are the challenges you have experienced?

We thank God that our challenges are surmountable and have been yielding good success.

What is the Ila-Orangun kingdom of your dream?

That the level of commercial and industrial activities in Ila-Orangun will place the town in an enviable position on the World map, and that the town will be the technology hub of Nigeria. This has always been my dream.