How was your childhood?
My mother said I was born on the 25th of the month after Christmas in the year 1936. She told me something about a prophecy somebody had told her, that she would be a mother of a king and that the boy would be looking for a father who would be capable of giving birth to him. Incidentally, my mother came across my father and I was given birth to. In 1940, I began attending a quranic school; I eventually decided to quit the school though I could recite about ten verses which I was taught then.
I started attending a normal school in 1946, at about ten years old, because during that period, the parameter at which one gained admission to school was to stretch your right hand across your head to touch your left ear. I started primary one at Idi-Ape Baptist School. I got trained from 1946 to 1954 when I ended Standard Six in the primary school. I later joined my brothers on the farm.
By my birth, I was the only surviving child of my mother, though I had an elder sister who had passed on at a very tender age. In 1948, I was deployed to my father’s house and I started living alone. Before then, my mother had been living with her sibling. Mid 1955, I was recalled from the farm to start what Obafemi Awolowo introduced as modern school. I spent three years. In 1958, I was a pupil school teacher in a village school, District Council School, Owu-Ile. It was from this school that I gained admission to Grade 3 school here in Ejigbo.
In 1950, I graduated and started teaching in District Council School in 1961 here in Ejigbo. I noted one incident. Immediately you were promoted from one school to the other, your previous classmates would be laid off. While I was teaching with Secondary Modern School certificate, the Standard 6 holders were laid off. So, while I was teaching with Grade 3, the old modern school finishers were laid off. In 1964, realizing that my colleagues could be laid off I went to Grade II Teachers’ College in Oshogbo. In 1966 , I gained teaching appointment to my old secondary modern school and I started doing some home training. I tried another school but eventually in 1968-1969 God gave me the opportunity of passing both GCE Ordinary Level and Advanced Level.
I later got admitted into two universities at a time but had to decide which one to attend. It was either the University of Ibadan where I was to study Economics in 1963 or the University of Lagos where I was offered admission to study Mass Communication. I did not know what Mass Communication meant. Apart from this, the University of Ibadan was nearer home than the University of Lagos.
Meanwhile, I got married in 1963 and as at this period of school admissions, I already had three female children. I wanted to see my children regularly and also I was very poor, I then decided to settle for the University of Ibadan . When I was in Grade II, I learnt traditional mathematics and I led the whole college then but when I got to Ibadan, I was being taught Modern Mathematics which was completely different from traditional Mathematics. I could not comprehend anything. I had to escape to Geography, because I was to read three subjects, i.e. Economics, Political Science and Geography. I wouldn’t read Economics because I did not know Mathematics. I did not read Political science because of my low interest for politics, so I settled fully for Geography. I experienced advanced stage of Mathematics and I eventually became a graduate teacher at Fiditi Grammar School at the end of my course.
What was your mother’s reaction to the prediction that she would give birth to a potential traditional ruler?
Obas generally were very popular and she was happy about the news, but I was not happy when she told me. She always told me in parable that “you’re a masquerade and you don’t know your worth.” I knew what a masquerade was. I used to reply her that I was not a masquerade. I did not understand it. Eventually in 1973, I was taken away from Fiditi Grammar School down to Ejigbo to become a traditional ruler on January 25, 1974.
How was the selection process?
It was a very keen contest. I was not the first candidate; we were nine contestants because many others rushed to my ruling house- some who were bonafide sons and some impostors. They all came to contest. We had nine contestants and nine king-makers. It was very interesting. In the first exercise, I did not have any support from any of the kingmakers, and I was very happy when the exercise was conducted. But the only unhappiness in my life then was that my father died in 1960; apparently he was poisoned. In the first exercise, I was not serious. They did not pick me, but as God would have it, the exercise was to start all over again. During the rerun, I had the support of six kingmakers out of nine, and that was how I emerged the oba-elect and I was installed.
What was the reaction of the residents after the exercise?
There was wild jubilation. It was they who wanted me, hence they trooped into the streets for jubilation.
What is your take over the roles for traditional rulers in governance?
In the present dispensation, my opinion has been very difficult to understand by the people. I don’t and I will not agitate for any constitutional roles for traditional rulers. Instead, I will prefer they remain as they are. If given constitutional roles, then traditional rulers will be determined by constitution. If your act and deeds are at variance with the constitution, you will be subjected to trial accordingly; and if convicted, such a traditional ruler will face the law. If an oba does anything wrong and he is arraigned and convicted, then such an oba will have to go to prison. So, because of this, it will be a misnomer agitating constitutional roles for our traditional rulers. Let the politicians misbehave and let the traditional rulers teach them how to behave. The moment constitutional roles are given, one’s life is guided by same. I would prefer advisory roles and not political roles.
What was the Ejigbo of your dream when you became a traditional ruler?
I knew Ejigbo was suffering from four major problems: water, telephone, education and agriculture. In the real sense of it, these were my four cardinal projects, which I focused on. I got water, only that it was mini water (project), with the belief that it would develop to a major over time. We got telephone, though analog with 09 code. We could then phone straight to Lagos. It was free of charge but overtime it collapsed. On education, some schools were built and I also encouraged many in agriculture through leadership by example, for I’m a farmer too with 16 acres of farm land.
What is the significance of your 84th birthday to you ?
It is the day my mother said I was born, the date I was selected as an Oba and the day I was given an instrument of office. I thank God for all these. I have to be grateful to Him for keeping me and giving me longevity on the throne. He has been merciful and has used me severally as an instrument to touch the lives of many of my people.
and then