The new Arapate of Ijesaland, High Chief Olugbenga Fadunsin Ayeni, in this interview by SAM NWAOKO, bares his mind on the coming 2021 Iwude Ijesa Festival, the Obilogun Festival and the impact of the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, on the kingdom among other issues. Excerpts:
Sir, as a traditional high chief and one-day Oba in a year in Ijesaland, you must be hearing from your people about insecurity and the economic situation. What do you think President Muhammadu Buhari should do differently on these two issues?
We have relied solely and too much on oil economy instead of looking into other areas for our economic sustenance. In Nigeria, we are blessed with so many natural resources which we’ve failed to utilise for the development of our economy. For instance, look at agriculture. There is virtually nothing that we can plant on our soil in Nigeria that will not germinate because God has blessed us with good fertile land. President Buhari should see to this area by assisting farmers so as to boost security and thereby food production for consumption and export.
Aside agriculture, Nigeria is equally blessed with natural resources like gold, rubber and even human resources. Therefore, I want to appeal to President Buhari to shift focus from petroleum and diversify to other areas that can boost our economy better than oil. The president should shelve his plan to remove fuel subsidy which could lead to more hardship for Nigerians by the time the fuel pump price goes up to about N340.00.
On security, I urge every Nigerian to, first, be security conscious. They should be reporting any strange behaviour or movement to the appropriate authority. It is the duty of the government to provide adequate security for the citizenry. Therefore, our government under the leadership of President Buhari must ensure strict compliance to this. As a way of boosting security, youths must be encouraged to be creative because there are little or no job vacancies for the very many graduating candidates every year from our institutions of higher learning. Then, entrepreneurship skill acquisition must be incorporated into the school curriculum while it must also be made compulsory for the students of every higher institution of learning so that at the end of their graduation, they will be able to stand on their own instead of looking for the white collar jobs.
Sir, you were noted for football but now you are a traditional chief having become the Arapate of Ijesaland. How does the transition feel?
Honestly speaking, I feel very happy and elated to occupy the seat of my forefathers as the Arapate of Ijesaland. Apart from being an athlete and footballer, I’m also a businessman and my company deals in buying and selling of houses and other businesses. I express my profound gratitude and appreciation to the almighty God and the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland Oba Dr. Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, the paramount ruler of Ijesaland for the privilege. I equally thank all the members of the Arapate as well as all the four ruling houses for the seat of Arapate of Ijesaland. I thank all the chiefs and every son and daughter of Ijesaland for their cooperation and support. I also want to express my profound appreciation to the Igbaroola family. As a sports man and ex-footballer, I am going to use my good position to encourage sporting activities among our youths in Ijesaland because I believe that promotion of sporting activities is one of the greatest tools that can foster unity, growth and development of any society. I will also use my position to fast track the construction of a better and modern stadium in Ijesaland.
What is new as the people prepare for the Obilogun and Iwude-Ijesa festivals this December?
I call on sons and daughters of Ijesaland to come home and participate in the two events. The Iwude-Ijesa festival is the festival and programme of our kabiyesi the Owa Obokun Adimula and paramount ruler of Ijesaland Oba Dr. Aromolaran. I congratulate the kabiyesi on this very important event which is going to take place on December 26th 2021 at Owa Obokun’s palace.
For the Obilogun festival, this is an ancestral festival for the Arapate families as well as every son and daughter of Ijesaland. The programme attracts all chiefs, the entire communities in Ijesaland as well as the local hunters and masquerades. The programme will start on 23 December this year with all night vigil till December 24th, when the grand finale of the programme would be held. Therefore, I want to implore all the indigenes of Ijesaland home and abroad not to hesitate by making sure they attend these two important events. The major aim of organising the two events is just to call the indigenes together and discuss the way forward for the better Ijesaland among which is provision of jobs opportunities for the youths so as to boost the economic activities of Ijesaland and reduce crime rate among the youths and so on.
As an important high chief in Ijesaland, what are your plans for Ijesa communities?
My prayer is that in no distance time, I want to see the entire Ijesa communities transformed in terms of the general overall development. I want to use my God-given position and knowledge to woo foreign investors into our area. Our kabiyesi, the Owa Obokun Adimula and paramount ruler of Ijesaland Oba Adekunle Aromolaran has been recording a lot of successes and achievements. We, therefore, must support and complement and build on his achievements. I hope to encourage education among the youths by counselling them on the importance of education, hardwork, respect for the elders and creativity as tools for greatness for every individual.
Oba Aromolaran would soon clock 40 years on the throne. What are the lessons there are from his monarchy?
Oba Adekunle Aromolaran is an achiever of no match. For example, the first Ijesa indigene to become Governor in Osun State was during this Oba Aromolan’s reign and that person is Mr. Rauf Aregbesola from Ogbon Arugbo area in Ilesa East Local Government of Osun State. Also, it was during this reign of Oba Aromolaran that the second lady in the federation emerged from Ijesaland and that person is the wife of our former vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mrs. Titi Atiku Abubakar. Several ministers, ambassadors and other movers and shakers of this nation have been produced from Ijesaland in Aromolaran’s time. The third citizen of Osun State is an Ijesa man from Ilesa East Local Government, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly. Several industries have sprung up, roads have been tarred, bridges constructed, drainages also constructed while foreign investors have been coming in to invest in Ijesaland without any fear during this reign of our great monarch Oba Gabriel Aromolaran. Oba Aromolaran can be best described as a very good leader and administrator.
and then