By Dr. Oni Gbolabo John
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A sense of power of power is the most intoxicating stimulant a mortal can enjoy. Ellen Shallow Richards (1842-1911)
In human history, all attempts to reform extant social order is often confronted by two discouraging questions. First question is: who are you? the second is: what is your stake (locus standi). Failure to answer the two questions satisfactorily often render reforms innocuous and the reformer disparaged. To avoid such, I hereby introduced myself, my name is Oni Gbolabo (Ph.D.) from Baba Olokuta’s house at Omofe junction, Imogun, while my father’s house is in Idasa, Baba S.M. Awosugba carpenter’s house.
Freeborn Ijesha needs no further explanations on who and my stake in writing this piece for the goodness of Ijesha land. Having my origin and my stake (locus standi) established, I automatically become a stakeholder in the goodness of the land. Nothing else befits all freeborn Ijesha than the goodness of the Ijesha land, absolutely nothing else. Then, having a stake empowers me to express my opinion on the task ahead for our the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesha land; His Imperial Majesty, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup.
In the spirit of native patriotism and ‘Baba Re A Gbe’ loyalty, I need to call the attention of the Imperial Majesty to the inherent and inherited problems at hand in Ijesha land in order to ease the tedious task ahead. As we hope in anticipation for the best, so also we must do the needful. No doubt the tenure of the sitting Owa will impact rebirth, renewal and the reclaiming of our pristine heritage that had been defiled and desecrated. In the renewal and rebirth the glory of Ijesha home and abroad will come alive and the land will regain its pride.
To begin with, Kabiyesi must always crosscheck all information presented to him from all sources irrespective of the person giving the information. Even relying on the reports from some Oloyes should be delicately scrutinized to avoid misleading information flawed by personal sentiments, ego and crass misrepresentation of truth. The simple reason is: a lot of Oloyes have vested interest in many inordinate spheres that requires reforms.
The show of organic inordinate conflict of interest that ensued when Oba Adekunle Aromolaran joined ancestors was ridiculous enough to behold. It was so chaotic that all sensible Ijesha were asking if that was the first time we ever had transition of Oba in Ijesha land. I think the clear definition of duties, responsibilities and limits of our high chiefs must be documented henceforth for easy consultation. However, that is just by the way as I will address major issues next.
Kabiyesi sir, your wisdom and attention are urgently needed on the embarrassing problem of having two kings in some communities, towns and villages. I cannot imagine how Ijesha land degenerated to this ignoble level. Having two Obas at the same time? Haba. It has gotten to an embarrassing peak sir and urgent action is needed. It is has gone as bad as ever. I will not say much here on this sir. I strongly believe something will definitely happen to stop the negative trend.
I progress in my litany by highlighting our confronting issues and where possible will suggest probable solutions, although not all solutions could be presented openly. Your majesty sir, top on the list is the threatening insecurity situation in Ijesha land. Apparently, we know the entire country is under siege but our case in Ijesha land is reddish because we lack locally coordinated fronts to assist the security personnel. Insecurity referred to here is multidimensional sir. The insecurity caused by gold prospectors because they are not profiled, insecurity caused by chiefs that are careless about those operating in their domains, insecurity by those selling land and leasing houses for unregistered people, insecurity by those selling their ancestral heritage, bloody and deadly fights among boys, spot robbery such as killing of okada riders etc. The report of the DSS in Ilesha in December 2024 calls for concern.
The scariest of all is the insecurity caused by non natives who dominated and colonized many villages to the extent that Ijesha are leaving villages for them whereas we have chiefs in those villages. If this is not a threat now it will become bigger threat later unless we structure the responsibilities of our chiefs. Naturally, people travel for greener pastures all over the world, still common rule requires being profiled wherever one travels to. Here visitors will just sneak into our villages armed with lethal weapons without the consent of the landowners. This is common in Ijesha land and now constitute a major threat.
Sir, asides the physical insecurity, another scourge is the chasing away of development by harassing those trying to develop our communities. An annoying case is that of someone who wanted to rebuild his old primary school with his own resources but some entities refused because he did not pay them. I mean that the person should pay the people he wanted to assist. It sounds crude but that is just it. We hope this will not become a norm in your reign sir. Your intervention shall be appreciated sir.
Next, Ijesha land must advance to the next stage industrialization. Industrialization of Ijesha land is the next task awaiting His Majesty’s attention. Kabiyesi sir, as a student of Ilesha Grammar School in the 80’s we rarely celebrate politicians, rather we applaud industrialists. Most vehicles on our roads in Ilesha belonged to industries. Most vehicles carried names such as: Ogbedu Plastics, Ile-Ani Textiles, Ducana Aluminum Fabrication, Flexible Packaging Paper Mill, Summit Oil, Adediran Steel & Wire, Orice Distillers, Olu Abiola Nails Factory, Dele Candle and lastly the proposed Sanmi Breweries etc. I did not forget International Breweries, Ilesa, a cat with nine lives that resurrected after it went into near bankruptcy.These companies were our pride and employed many Ijeshas then. I must also reckon with Moshood Balogun for his Guguru and Soap Industry.
If these companies are still in existence in Ilesa I strongly believe that at least a thousand people will be directly and indirectly engaged outside government’s employment to reduce poverty in Ijesha land. Sir, we need people with integrity, sincerity, patriotism, leadership, accountability and rectitude to have a forum I will call Ijesha Bureau of Investment (IBI). The forum will be responsible for assisting all intending investors to have ease of landing, source for land and liaise with chiefs and village heads. I believe this will drive people to see Ijesha land beyond the home of Trophy beer. The bureau will assist intending investors in terms of business information. It will be responsible for liaising with heads of communities on land matters and opportunities available. The bureau will network with Ijesha Chamber of Commerce to make investment in Ijesha land easier. Sir, the bureau could extend its value to investigate those industries that are dead and see if any could be revived.
Kabiyesi sir, one of the problems driving people away especially Ijesha living in diaspora is the land disputes that are common in Ilesha that invites needless court cases. This is not sudden, it began from installations of misfits as chiefs. These misfits have no concern for their communities than to sell land, re-sell, claim, reclaim and resell same land all over. The ignoble acts drives prospects away from Ijesha land gradually. How can we explain that our sons and daughters left Ijesha land to invest elsewhere like Oshogbo due to fear of land deals. The issue falls under the category of solutions that cannot be discussed openly. Joining this is the indiscriminate selling of family houses. Although, family houses are personal properties but we should educate our people about the consequences. If not, the day is coming when Emeka or Effiong will want to become Lejoka or Lejofi in Ilesha here, it will not be funny. We keep moving to the outskirts while visitors are buying family houses. Why cant we sell to the natives? Why cant we native have native developers?
Further sir, I believe it is time for a commission in Ijesha land to be constituted for the purpose of unifying the fragmented Ijesha Obas Council. We must also restructure the titles and the nomenclature as they were ab initio. If not, we wont be able to blame the youths for our dying tradition because we must also blame those trying to erase it through wrong titles. We grow up to clearly differentiate between titles such Oba, Ogboni, Loja, Loriomo and other cardinal titles and they earn respects accordingly. Today titles have changed as everyone wants to be called Oba. Out of twenty vehicles that pass-by one must carry a signboard of Oba. We are at a point in Ilesha that the population of Oba is more than that of the people. This must be reviewed hence our tradition will be eroded. If not that I don’t have charm I could have installed myself as Oluode of Ijaaregbe and claim it thenceforth…smiles.
Imperial Majesty sir, I will close this message with a short story. In 1991 sir, when you were on joint ticket with late Governor Isiaka Adeleke. On the day of the primary election I was in your company to Omofe Primary School where the primary election was conducted. When we entered, you were about to vote when you discovered that your voter’s card was left at home inside the pocket of the cloth your wore the previous day. The rule was: after accreditation nobody could come in or go out. It was then someone was needed to go and bring the voter’s card but nobody wanted to go so that he/she wont miss the twenty naira (N20) that would be shared. Sir, I Oni Gbolabo volunteered to go and bring the card that day sir.
Bringing the card is not the issue sir, I brought the card but unable to go inside again. Therefore I missed my twenty naira. Before I could complain Your Majesty left to Concord Hotel immediately from there to Oshogbo. Sir, after the calculation of the twenty naira (N20) using compound interest I arrived at twenty five million, six hundred naira and thirty three kobo (N25,600,033).
Sir, I pray it can be included in the task ahead in Ijesha land sir…..smile.
I am so grateful for the anticipated attention this piece will receive sir.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Oni Gbolabo John
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