Meet the family ‘to produce the next Akarigbo of Remo’

They looked particularly enthusiastic; the unity among them was clear. They were also proud of their forbears. They were royalty and it was evident. They were members of the Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House. They were Aremo (Prof.) Babatunde Ogunmola, Ganiyu Olatunji, Oyetola Famolu, Aina Olugboya, Lukman Siwonniku, Ayoola Anibaba, Oladipupo Oyebajo, Basorun Adebule, Abdulfatah Oyederu, Waliu Adesola, Rasheed Olatunji, Princess Kudirat Adenike Alimi, among others.

Since the death of the last Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo in July 2016, calls for the installation of a new monarch to occupy the vacant stool increased significantly. For many, the delay in the installation of an Akarigbo has not only stalled meaningful progress for the people but also diminishing the sense of self-worth of the Remo people. Through the years, about five ruling houses have rotationally produced occupants of the stool. The present declarations now list (5) five: Liyangu, Torungbuwa, Anoko, Koyelu and Owarodo in order of succession.

In order to fill the position vacated as a result of the demise of Oba Sonariwo, the Sagamu local government area of Ogun State in a public notice made available to the Nigerian Tribune and signed by the Head of Local Government Administration, Venerable Willie Ade Olugbebi on behalf of the executive chairman with reference number SLG.251/190 dated March 17, 2017, stated, inter alia, “The public is hereby notified that vacancy has occurred in Akarigbo of Remo Land Chieftaincy Title. It is the turn of Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House to produce candidate(s) to fill the vacant stool.

“The head of Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House is hereby required in line with section 15 and 16 of the Chiefs Law of Ogun State Nigeria, 2006, to convene a meeting of the family within fourteen (14) days from the date of this notice …The candidate(s) nominated will be presented to the Kingmakers by the head of the ruling house through the secretary to local government, Sagamu Local Government for the election of a suitable candidate as Akarigbo of Remo land elect.”

Seated in the gathering were those who identified themselves as members of the Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House to which the letter of the government and public notice were addressed. While interacting with Nigerian Tribune, the eldest of the clan, Otunba Pa Adepoju Ogunsanwo, stated that “We all that are gathered here today are the descendants of Torungbuwa. Torungbuwa is one of the four ruling houses to the Akarigbo stool from time immemorial. The first Akarigbo that migrated from Ile Ife was ‘Eweyi’. He had four children. He gave birth to Liyangu, Owarodo, Koyelu and Torungbuwa. Torungbuwa was the youngest of the four children. We are his descendants. The descendants of the four of them have been rotationally occupying the stool of the Akarigbo.

“Liyangu was the first to take over their father’s stool after the latter died. After Liyangu, Owarodo occupied the stool. After him, Koyelu took over and after him; Torungbuwa was next to the stool. Anoko has also rule as well.

We must all rally round ourselves as federated community, ignore all diversionary obstacles, forgive all our previous misgivings, renew our brotherhood and rededicate ourselves to peace, unity, solidarity and prosperity of the kingdom in our relationship with ourselves and productive partnership with others, nationally and internationally.

Pa Ogunsanwo, while speaking, told Nigerian Tribune that the last time that the Torungbuwa ruling house produced an Akarigbo was in 1891. “The last time our ruling house produced an Akarigbo was in 1891 and it was in the person of Oba Oyebajo Oyederu, Torungbuwa II, the Akarigbo of Remo Kingdom. There had been others who had ascended the throne of Akarigbo before him but his reign was unique and glorious considering the various reforms and ingenuity that he brought in. Other Akarigbos after him have only been able to build on what he did. He was the one who opened up Remo Kingdom to Western education.

“Before he became the Akarigbo, he had seen the significant progress that places like Lagos and Ibadan were making. The moment he became King, he started with the introduction of education to Remo. Also before his reign, missionaries were not welcomed particularly to Remo but that was put behind as Oba Oyebajo Oyederu opened up Remo to Christian missionary work. He converted one of his many farmlands and thereon established the first school in Remo, St Paul’s School Alagbo, Sagamu. That was how the light of Western education got into Remo. Simultaneously, he commanded all the monarchs under him to allow the Christian missionaries into their domains.

“Of course I must also add that when he became king, the entity called Nigeria was not in existence. All the various ethnic groups that make up Nigeria today had individual, independent traditional governments overseeing them. When the British government therefore came, they met with Oba Oyebajo Oyederu and had different agreements with him. They were surprised at the reception that Oba Oyebajo Oyederu accorded them. The first demand that Oba Oyebajo Oyederu gave as condition to work with them was the abolition of slave trade and human sacrifice. He signed all the treaties with the British government in 1894. The British representatives that had come to meet Oba Oyebajo Oyederu had no other name by which to refer to the domain of the monarch so they called it Remo Kingdom. The Akarigbo thumb printed with other members of his cabinet, the treaty of 1894 on behalf of Remo Kingdom.

When asked how he felt when the government called upon his family to produce the next occupant of the Akarigbo stool, Pa Ogunsanwo stated that “In the earliest times when people were to be made Akarigbo, those who were qualified to be kings would not show interest. In fact, they were usually forced unlike now when many would want to kill themselves over various traditional stools.

“In those days, the heirs to the Akarigbo stool would run away and whoever of the heirs-apparent was caught would be made king. This was the situation until Oba Oyebajo Oyederu emerged as Akarigbo. When his predecessor died, all the heirs-apparent ran away. Oyebajo Oyederu also ran away and started living in his farmstead. Before now, the king makers had carried out various consultations and it was discovered that Oyabajo Oyederu would make a great king. He was a prince then and it was the turn of the Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House to produce the Akarigbo. The king makers had to devise a plan to bring Oyebajo Oyederu to town. They connived with a man to lie that Oyebajo Oyederu stole his planted leaves from his farm. This message got to Oyebajo Oyederu that he was being accused of stealing a man’s property and that he had to appear before the town’s council of elders to defend himself.

“He was a man that would not allow anything to smear his name. When Oyebajo Oyederu heard about this, he was furious, knowing that he never committed the act. Unknown to him, the town had prepared to confiscate him and make him a monarch whenever he appeared. The town was ready; the king makers were set. They were seated; the moment Oyebajo Oyederu came into their midst and sat down, his accuser, the king makers and the entire town bowed before him in obeisance and so crowned him king.

“But today, many get into various lawsuits when filling a vacant stool. Thank God for the Chiefs Law which addresses all these issues. We are very glad as a family that we are producing the next Akarigbo. We are ready. We wait for the state government to call us in to present to them our choice through the Kingmakers. Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House has many accomplished sons and daughters who are occupying many positions across the nation and internationally among whom are eminent professors and professionals. We are blessed and would serve the community with our best material.

In his opinion, one of the members of the family, Alhaji Adebayo Yakubu, stated that “All that Pa Ogunsanwo has said is right. Anyone can come up and claim to be heir to the throne but we all know those who are the heirs to the throne and we cannot be replaced by any other set of people. We believe that the right thing will be done in presenting the right candidate for the throne of Akarigbo from the Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House at this time.”

“We are bringing an Akarigbo who is coming with a mission to reunite and chart a new pathway forward together with other Obas and the people to reinvent the greatness of Ofin, Sagamu and the entire Remo Kingdom, looking back to evaluate our past and improve what is good and has worked for us as much as to offer leadership for a future that will work better for us and our children’s future. We must all rally round ourselves as federated community, ignore all diversionary obstacles, forgive all our previous misgivings, renew our brotherhood and rededicate ourselves to peace, unity, solidarity and prosperity of the kingdom in our relationship with ourselves and productive partnership with others, nationally and internationally.

In his reaction, the secretary of the Torungbuwa Akarigbo Ruling House added that “the issue of the stool of the Akarigbo can only be decided by the rightful ruling house, empowered by the Chiefs Law and the tradition of the people. Many people today do not understand this. We are to produce the next Akarigbo. It is within our family that we would take that decision as no outsider is permitted to intervene.”