The Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, and his wife, Olori Oloruntoyin, tell NOAH BANJO about their lives before and after moving to the palace, careers and other issues
What fond memories do you have of your childhood?
I grew up on Ladipo Street, Mushin, Lagos. There used to be an egungun festival— the alado o fesekanle egbe— and it used to be very volatile. It used to be a tense atmosphere, with hoodlums moving about.
My mum was a teacher and she also had a shop on our street where she sold groceries. I grew up helping her to look after the shop. I also had a lot of friends— both good and bad ones. When one grows up in that kind of environment with different characters, one would have well-mannered and morally upright friends from working class homes, and hoodlums as well. Because I was usually in my mum’s shop, all kinds of people used to come to the shop.
Then, I grew up to be assertive on my own because the terrible ones would want to come in and steal. I used to stand up against bullies.
You had a humble upbringing. How did that shape your life into the person you are now?
I grew up in a working class family. My dad was an accountant with a shipping company. Both my mum and dad worked very hard, and they wanted me to be well educated. I had to work hard to be somebody in life. Actually, I wanted to become a banker because I believed there was a lot of money in that sector. I used to see bankers putting on tie and suit, and looking smart. But along the way, I ventured into journalism.
What effects have being a king had on your immediate family?
It has not really had much effect on them because I came back from England to (Nigeria) to work for a while. I was tired of Europe and I wanted a new life. I taught in two universities in Europe and I felt there should be a change because I was not at home with the culture because when one gets to work, one’s colleagues don’t discuss political issues. They also don’t discuss a lot of issues affecting society because they don’t have many problems. They only crack jokes, and talk about their dogs and other pets. But, I am not that kind of person. I always thought about home and what was happening there. I wanted to come back home to see things for myself and know whether I could be part of the team that could change things. One day, I just resigned from the University of Lincoln, England, and decided to come back home. My being a king doesn’t have much impact on my family because my two sons are in the United Kingdom and my wife works as a director with a multinational, Abbott Laboratories, in the UK. She studied Biochemistry at the University of Sokoto. She later bagged a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Lagos. She worked as a manager at Pharma Deko before we left Nigeria. She also had a Master’s in Business Administration from York University. She is doing well and I don’t think she is ready to come back to Nigeria (fully). We are still studying the environment. She comes over whenever she is needed and I also go there to stay with them for some time. The people of my kingdom and my family members are very important to me, so I try to balance the attention.
How do you feel when people who are older than you pay obeisance to you?
As one of the custodians of our culture, I try to uphold our tradition. For those that are fit enough to prostrate themselves, I allow them. But for those that are feeble, I don’t allow them do it. If you are going to do it and it would result in a medical emergency, then don’t do it. If a person cannot prostrate themselves, there are other ways by which they can show respect. Some could just bend down and say ‘Kabiyesi’, and that is acceptable. It is not in our culture for a person to slump and die just because they want to greet the king.
As the king, you are deemed to be the father of everybody in your domain. How do you relate with your elderly subjects?
They are still my fathers (and mothers). Even though traditionally, I am the head of the town, I still accord them respect. As a king, for one to keep one’s domain going, one would also prostrate at night, only that people won’t see it. If you have to put your domain in order, there are some forces and people you need to appeal to at night.
Some people feel that Nigerian students who go abroad to study do better than their counterparts in Nigeria. As a lecturer who has taught at home and abroad, what are your thoughts on this?
The environment in Nigeria is not conducive for learning. That is why students that don’t do well here but excel when they go abroad. I was an average student in Nigeria because beyond the academic factor, there are other things to be considered. One has to fend for oneself and that could impact one’s performance in school. But, in developed countries, the system is so easy and people can work and learn side by side.
The educational system abroad is really accommodating. Also, the issue of victimisation is not there. The lecturers have open minds. Going abroad developed me so much because beyond the theories we learn here, we don’t have relevant equipment to work with. But when you go there (advanced countries), you would see everything there and know better. Merging theory that you have learnt with practical would make you better. The first job I got as a sub-editor when I got to England was with an African newspaper called, African Trumpet. I didn’t even know anything about using the computer and the job required that one had to use the computer. I had to lie that I could use a computer because that was how my wife also got a job. Before, whenever she went for an interview, they would ask her if she could use a computer and she would say ‘no’. But, after about 20 interviews and the question kept coming up, she had to tell them that she could use a computer. When she was about to start the job, we had to meet some friends who taught her how to use a computer. I remember that when I was in the higher institution in Nigeria, they used to cover the computer and whenever they opened it, no student was allowed to touch it. That is part of the problems we have in this country.
A lot needs to be done to improve our learning environment so that students can be emotionally stable to learn and understand. There is a lot of fear in our educational system and I think we need to change that.
You once said you intended to liberate the Awori people by proposing the set-up of the Awori Traditional Council. What progress have you made in that area?
The liberation will not come in just one day. It is a process and we are still on it. Beyond the Awori Traditional Council, we also need to have an Awori division. We have Ijebu, Remo, Egba and Yewa divisions. Why can’t we have the father of them all— which is the Awori division? We (Awori) were the first people to occupy this part of the country, so why should we be deprived? We are not begging; it is our right, whether people like it or not. At some point though, I believe we would have it. All we need is for the Aworis to hold ourselves together as one. If there are no betrayers among us, we would get to where we are going very quickly. However, there will always be betrayers. That is one of the problems militating against achieving Awori division. Meanwhile, I am not just talking about the obaship (kingship), I am also referring to a division that would accelerate our development. As for me, I think I can hold (lead) my people politically and economically. Aworis don’t fear anybody and we need to come together in order to liberate all of Awori land. That is why I need people; not just because I wanted to be the paramount ruler. No, that is not the issue. I believe we need to accelerate our development and it is our right to have an Awori division. We have been here for about eight centuries. The Olota stool is the oldest in the Awori kingdom. The influence of the Olota spans to Lagos (Idimu) and many other places.
A former Alaafin of Oyo in the 11th century, Oba Oluboge, was born by an Ota woman. Also, it is from Ota that ifa was introduced to Oyo State. Despite all this, we still don’t have Awori division. My ultimate goal is to have the Awori division because if we are going to have a paramount ruler and a traditional council, there has to be divisions. If anybody thinks anything is wrong with having Awori division, then something must be wrong with that person too and should be regarded as a saboteur of Yoruba development. If you look at the setup of Ogun State, the Aworis and Owus are of the same stock. We are sons of Okanbi and their mother is also from Okanbi. People need to be educated. There shouldn’t be division among Yoruba people because we are from the same source. We need to re-educate ourselves as Yoruba. We need to know more about ourselves and how we are related to one another. The problem is that there is lack of education about our culture and heritage.
How have you been able to manage your traditional role under political leadership?
No governor or any other politician for that matter can say I have ever begged them for money. According to our cultural beliefs, it is God that puts one on a throne, and in that case, the system will provide for one because it is spiritual. Royal fathers shouldn’t be going to beg politicians for money. They would only end up desecrating their thrones. I don’t fear anybody except God. If I feel there is anything I need to tell my people or that I need to accuse the government of, I would do that. I have actually been doing that and I fear nobody. Nobody can intimidate me because it is the call of God and it is my people that chose me (to be their king). I am not a politician and I don’t intend to become one. But, if there is anything I need to sensitise my people about, I would do iWhat do you miss the most about your life abroad? That would be my freedom. Whenever I travel, I become a ‘normal’ human being. Whenever I am in my home in the UK, I drive myself. I do my own shopping myself and I meet up with friends in clubs where we talk and discuss like ‘normal’ people.
When I’m at home (in Nigeria), I don’t have my freedom. Whenever I go out, I would need to have security personnel with me, and that is not normal. Most times, I feel like going back to where I can walk without any security operatives hovering around me. I pray that one day, Nigeria will get to a point where one doesn’t always have to move around with security details.
Where is your favourite vacation destination, and with your several responsibilities, do you ever find the time to go on holidays?
My favourite vacation destination is to relax with my people at Iworo, Badagry (Lagos State). When you go to Whispering Palms (a resort in Badagry), it is a wonderful place where you can relax. I also travel to Europe and the US to catch up with old friends.
I have a home in Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. It is surrounded by nature and I enjoy it very well because whenever I’m there, I feel like a ‘normal’ human being.
With the queen being mostly abroad, how do you cope with her absence?We talk every day. We are always in contact with each other. I also travel over there (to spend some time with her). We also have a palace cook and for everything I need, we have enough staff to take care of me. Whenever she is around, she takes over the cooking and when I visit my home in the UK. It is just part of what I have to bear with for now. But as she is frequent here, I am also frequent there. Are you under any pressure to take another wife as a king?
No matter the pressure, I only want to marry one wife. I don’t need any other. I don’t see wives or women as commodities. I believe in ‘one man, one woman’ and I am content with my wife. For other kings who have more than one wife, if they can cope with it, that’s fine. And, if they cannot cope with it, they had better not go into it.
Some people feel Africa men are not romantic. As a king, do you still express romantic gestures to your wife?
Of course. If one has two or three wives, how can one be romantic? It’s not possible. It means one only married them to satisfy one’s urges. I am romantic. Sometimes, we play together. We do a lot of things together, and we share the same room even though we have many rooms in the house
Posts
