Oba Soliu Oyemonla, the Shabiganna of Iganna Kingdom has been on the throne for nine years. He is the Permanent Chairman of the traditional council of Iwajowa Local Government, permanent member of Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs as well as the secretary of Yoruba ObasConflict Resolution Council. In this interview by YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, he talks about what stands Iganna out, his vision for the town and why the traditional institution has lost respect among other issues.
In your almost a decade on the throne, have you achieved your vision for the town?
To the glory of God and service to humanity, I will be marking my decade on the throne of my forebears by next year October, Insha Allah. And to a large extent, I thank Almighty God for the achievements so far but I hope my vision for the first decade could still be accomplished with the opportunity of a year and some months ahead. It should be emphasised however that God has assisted me immensely in giving the kingdom a new template for unprecedented developments and reorientation.
What are your dreams for Iganna?
My dreams for Iganna Kingdom are lofty and revolutionary. I dream for a new kingdom where things work and all things are possible with the help of God. And this informs why I composed a new anthem for the town for positive motivation and also coined a new motto: Iganna, land of possibilities.
What do you think is responsible for the lack of respect for the traditional institution today?
It is quite unfortunate that the royal alue of traditional institutions most especially in the South West, Nigeria is eroding fast. Reasons for this ugly trend are not far-fetched. Cultural imperialism, western education and so-called civilisation are doing incalculable damage to sustainable traditional institution. Our cultural values and traditions are becoming obsolete and dying fast. Respect for traditional rulers is therefore depleting. It is not an overstatement that the orientation given to our children is so sad and unthinkable; it is bad that traditional rulers are being seen and treated as Commanders of Deities and fetishism in our society. This undermines greatly the efficacy of monarchy as a modern form of government as practised in the civilised world such as Britain and Saudi Arabia where religion and traditional institutions are mutually inclusive for democratic governance. Maliciously, traditional rulers are demonised and treated with disdain in this part of the world and unfounded/unscientific rumours are spread against the institution.
How can traditional rulers help to unify the Yoruba race?
Naturally, traditional rulers are viceroy of God on earth. We are obliged to play the role modeling as fathers and responsible leaders promoting love, unity and prosperity of mankind. As stakeholders in peace and good governance, government needs to give the institution enough economic and political empowerment for optimum service delivery. This, if done with genuine intentions will re-engineer our nascent democracy. Traditional rulers deserve constitutional roles and it is high time those in authority considered it expedient in the best of this country, it is expedient and in the best interest of Nigeria.
There can’t be unity in Yoruba land without the unity of Obas in the region because we are the nexus between God and human race. That is why it is paramount for our children holding political offices to desist from shooting themselves in the legs by fanning embers of disunity or undermining traditional institutions in the best interest of this country.
Some traditional rulers have conflicts among themselves, how does this affect the society?
Politically, post independence politicians, most especially in the South West only use traditional rulers as mere tools for politics and politicking in a use and dump syndrome style to pervert their impunity for tyranny and corruption. They are being treated much less than civil servants on the pay list of stipends that can be hired and fired at any point in time.
Divide and rules tactics, dirty intrigues and selective treatment are some of the strategies used to weaken the institution in this part of the world that make Obas cap in hands and figures of derision in the hands of our sons-turned politicians. Obaship is a full time divine assignment on earth and we need to be socially and economically stable for optimum performance.
All these and many other sins committed by our politicians against traditional institutions generate avoidable crisis, class struggles, ego boosting, corruption and disunity among monarchs which had eaten deep to the fabric of traditional institution undermining the honour and respect it deserves in our society. This informs why Yoruba Obas conflicts resolution Council was inaugurated about seven years ago by the chairman of the group, His imperial Majesty Oba (Dr) F.E.O Akinruntan, Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom to manage all these politically motivated crises amongst Obas in the South West .
What stands out your town?
My Kingdom, Iganna stands out as one of the ancient surviving typical Yoruba towns of rich history and cultural heritage. There are no records of natural disaster or political riot/crisis against the kingdom .It is a peaceful and serene agrarian environment blessed with natural and human resources but begging for government attention in terms of infrastructural facilities as a developing kingdom
How can the economy of Nigeria be improved?
The panacea for economic emancipation is good leadership with genuine intent to serve people rather than self serving, to build infrastructure rather than looting and to leave enduring legacies rather than being power drunk. Most importantly, Nigerians need to be patient, objective and patriotic with any government in power. We are all stakeholders and we all deserve to have sufficient knowledge of political and economic policies of government to prevent being selfishly mobilised by the political elites. Let us all start doing the right things to the right people at the right time. Corruption is a killer of a virile and working economy. Let’s all fight it to its knees. God bless Nigeria.
Tell us the cultural and historical background of Iganna?
Iganna as an ancient town has a rich cultural and historical background. It has been playing leading administrative roles since pre-colonial era as it was made an administrative headquarters of Ekun Otun, a province comprising the present Oke Ogun and beyond by the Alaafin during the old Oyo Empire. It is a community headed by a beaded crown Oba (Sabiganna) who is historically a descendant of Oduduwa and Alaafin, Iku Baba Yeye. Culturally, Iganna is a typical Yoruba Kingdom having myriad of traditional festivals and custom celebrated annually.
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