Letter to Omode Ọwá and Àgbà Ijesa on the Next Owa Obòkun by……Oni Gbolabo

---

Dear Omode Ọwá and Àgbà Ijesa,

1. My name is Oni Gbolabo, an aborigine ijesa not just ijesa mere indigene, because a settler who had stayed here for long can claim to be indigene that’s why I claimed aborigine.
2. My great grandfather founded a village near Moroko called Ikebe, my street is Ìdásà. My great grandfather’s house is at Omofe junction, Imogun, the house is popularly called “Ile Olokuta” also known as Ile Oginni.Thus a stakeholder in who becomes the next Owa Obòkun.
3. Dear Omode Ọwá and Àgbà Ijesha, no doubt that the next Owa Obòkun must be educated, a privilege to engage in critical reasoning and ingenuity. Beyond that, the next Owa Obòkun must know that he is coming to work, not just to serve. A lot of bad precedents had been laid so he must know he has hard tasks ahead. We don’t want someone obsessed with àgbàdá and beads. No, we want Owa Obòkun who is passionate about ijesa rebirth.
4. Education being a prerequisite, he must be a man who can wield influence of Money and Authority positively not for selfish means but to develop ijesa land. Not Owa Obòkun that believes his bank account over Ijesa destiny. No apology here
5. Sincerely, as at now ijesa is lagging behind. The way people see ijesa land from afar is different from who we are. I must commend people who have nothing to gain but invested so much to develop ijesha ìn the last 10 years. Baba Akinola (Sawe), special honor to him at his age and his love for Ijesa land. Added to the fact that I drink trophy in his house every December. Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, Folabi Igbaroola, Lateef Bakare, Arimoro, Wale Idowu and other notable ijesa that sacrificed. Geriatric Hospital, University of Ilesha are glaring evidence to reckon with.
6. Apart from the efforts of these people what can we say ijesa benefitted in the last 42 years? I will say nothing. Therefore, the coming Owa Obòkun must be Owa Obòkun the Urbanizer because we have a lot of gaps to fill in terms of industrialization to employ these boys idle boys.
7. Years ago we rarely see political party vehicles as pride in Ilesa. The commonest political party bus then was Awe Alagbinla’s UPN. Most of the buses in Ilesha then were owned by companies no matter how small. From International Brewery, Adeniran Steel Rolling, Ogbedu Plastics, Ile Àní Factory, Ducana Aluminum, Orice Distiller, Summit Oli, Olu Abiola Nail Factory, Dele Candle, Moshood Balogun Soap Factory and co .
8. All the factories listed above died for reasons Known/unknown, all we have today are hooliganism, prostitution and vagabondry as industries. The next Owa Obòkun must be a man of value who can draw wealthy families in ijesa land to establish factories. We don’t want Owa Obòkun that will demand personal tax before anyone can develop ijesha land. Never again. Owa that can revive these dead factories we want.
9. The next Owa Obòkun must as a matter of rigidity be of Royal blood. Not a man whose paternity will be questionable. He must be traced to Loja of his village as Agunlejika was traced to Okebode and Aromolaran traded to Ileki. We don’t want any Ọmọ Ale here in ijesha land.
10. The next Owa Obòkun must be Throne Trained. You may be born of Royal Dynasty without The tutelage of royalnes. Owa incoming must be a man of culture, tradition, custom and history. We want a man who will honor our heritage not claiming Christianity. If you can’t grumble don’t fumble is the situation now.
11. Shakespeare said there’s no art to reveal human mind. Truly we can’t predict human beings but we should use past records and achievement to measure the coming Owa Obòkun. He must be a man of Rectitude, Integrity & Trust. He must be worthy of our collective trust that he won’t make his personal greed to look like ijesa land’s interest. We want Owa Obòkun that will demand industry instead of jeep.
12. The coming Owa Obòkun must be Center of Excellence, Man of authority and
    Catalyst to Development. He should not be a man who will go to the president or governor to tender his personal greed at the expense of ijesa land. He must be a unifier who will reclaim the title we grew up to know OWA OBÒKUN OF IJESA LAND. Not now that different unknown titles pervade our land.
13. He must be Decent in outlook, objective in thinking, universal in appeal and surrounded by men of good counsel. Having good counsel begins from not making people of low birth or questionable characters chiefs. Whom we need is Pure breed with records .
14. He must be Owa Obòkun that can call notable ijesa and his voice be respected. I can tell who cares that if we have good personality as Owa Obòkun he can raise N100 billion for industrialization and transform the landscape. Is it inot a shame that if children of Baba Lawrence Omole remove brewery today Ilesha is empty. Rapid industrialization is of priority now.

Wishing the Omode Ọwá and Àgbà Ijesa well in their scouting for the next Owa Obòkun.
Yours Publicly,
Oni Gbolabo Dr.