• Since I ascended Olupo throne a year ago, I have not collected any salary, not even an official car or driver
• My reign has brought peace and security to my community
• It is wrong for traditional rulers to sell or get involved in land controversy

His Royal Majesty (HRM), Oba Abdul-Rafiu Oyekanmi Mosobalaje Bamigboye 11, Ilufemiloye Ariwajoye 1, the Olupo of Oluponna land, in this chat with the media, speaks on his first year on the throne and how his reign has brought peace and tranquility to his community. SEYE OLUMIDE, Southwest Bureau Chief, was there.

How would you describe your experience on the throne a year after?
IT’s been a massive experience. Having been in management before has made kingship easy for me. But it is easier to manage materials than to manage human beings. Human beings are the most difficult to manage in life but the experience I gathered in management, before I ascended the throne, helped me a lot. Being in a community where you are not used to, though I was born in this area, I didn’t stay long. I started my primary school here, but I didn’t complete it before I moved to Ibadan then to Ile-Ife. My secondary and tertiary education were at Ife. I then started working, and from there, I moved abroad. And you know, life abroad is different from here, things are done differently in the Western world. Now coming here and seeing what life looks like is another experience entirely; but I thank God Almighty for giving me the ability to manage every situation that comes my way everyday.
What are the differences between your private life and your present status as a monarch?
There are lots of differences. My private life before ascension to the throne was different, though I am a man of the people and was a man of the people even in my private life. Coming to the throne exposed me more to lots of things. Being on the throne is not just a common thing. You need a lot of attributes to contribute and to be able to survive on the throne, you will meet many people of different character and attitude, it’s now left to you to manage them or the crisis they brought to you and how you can make them happy.

What were you doing abroad before you were selected as king?
I was a professional nurse but when I got to London, I upgraded myself and I became a specialist in Cardiothoracic sector where they do transplant, do lots of cardiac surgery and intensive care giving.
What prompted you to leave that profession for the throne?

Man is not for bread alone. This is my community and I need to serve. Secondly, I am already getting closer to my retirement age; I don’t just want to be useful to myself without being useful to my community. I realised that I have something to offer my community because I have seen it all. All the experience I have acquired, I think should be to the benefit of my community and my experience in the western world, that should help me to develop my area too.

What is your take on the crisis usually witnessed when it comes to the selection of kings in Yorubaland, as we are currently witnessing in the case of selecting new Alaafin of Oyo and Soun Ogbomosho?
To be honest with you, let me first give thanks to God Almighty for the knowledge and experience God gave them to select me. I was so happy when they took me to the paramount ruler in Iwo land, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Raheed Akambi; they all mentioned then that: “We unanimously selected him without taking a kobo from him. They were so proud and boasted that they didn’t asked me for a bribe before selecting me as the king elect. They later asked for money but at my discretion. And Oluwo said, ‘Olupo! Did you hear what they are saying? You must take care of them. It’s a history I don’t think anybody can surpass. For the 13 kingmakers to unanimously select you, it’s a history that has not been written before” I didn’t do anything, all the contestants showed our interest, bought and submitted forms and we were called for interview, and on the day of final selection, all of us came, they have their criteria and I was selected.

Is there a way farmers in your community are being encouraged to boost agriculture so that there will be food sufficiency in the Southwest and Nigeria as a whole?
Predominantly, in this area and in Nigeria today, the major occupation is farming. People of my community have been contributing a lot to agriculture. The crops they are planting here are consumable ones. I can say 90 per cent of the farm products from this area are being taken out for people to eat. They do give them incentives like fertiliser, and improved seedlings that will yield a good harvest.

What are your achievements in the last one year since you became the Olupo of Oluponaland?
Liberation, peace and harmony are some of the things I have been able to achieve in the community. Before I ascended the throne, there were ups and downs, but as soon as I came in, I tried to unite aggrieved members of the community together, mend many fences, so, we can live in unity. And again, I tried to bring back my colleagues and sons and daughters of this area from abroad to come home and do things in their fatherland and to promote the area.
Those overseas have been of significant help to the community, they have contributed significantly to the development of the area. If you look at the main road, our plan was to tar it ourselves, they have already constructed the drainage and we are only waiting for asphalt to be laid on the road, but as it is now, we are seeking the assistance of the government, we have gotten the approval to do it ourselves. We have a society called Olupona Development Association (ODA) that has been contributing a lot to the community. It is the main society that every child of this community belongs to and we seek help from them. They look at the bad roads, electrification and they ensure that repair work is carried out on any damaged areas. Boreholes are being sunk by myself and some other people abroad so that our people get good water.
Personally, I have some students whom I pay to support their education even before I got to the throne and am still doing it now. I do help some of the sick ones and my desire is to make sure everybody gets good treatment.
Security wise, in my early stage on the throne, we were disturbed by thieves who burgled many houses but now everything is settled through the mediation and collaboration of other community members. I worked hand in hand with security agencies in the community.

Are you saying armed herdsmen no longer pose threats to farmers in Olupona?
I can say categorically now that with the help of Almighty God, I tried to unite the farmers and Fulani herders but you know there is no way you will not have some bad people. I brought the Fulani and other foreigners that are living in this area together, had a series of meetings to make sure we fished out the bad ones among them and this worked very well for us. If there is any trouble from any non indigene, we know how to iron it out.

Is there any form of collaboration with your Divisional Police Officer and other security chiefs in the community?
There is a harmonious relationship between the security agencies. We work hand in hand with security agencies and also involve leaders of the non indigenes so as to make sure everything is going well in the community. We have a plan laid down that If there is any trouble or incident in any area, you come to the palace and report and I will act immediately. Such has happened several times and they know that whenever they come, I won’t just overlook, I will act immediately. I will ask security agencies to go there and investigate. This has been working for us.

How come your fellow contenders to the throne did not challenge your emergence, were you able to reach out to them or not?
There is no way, there will not be challenges, but it depends on how you react or handle them. Two people are fighting for one seat and one must emerge, it now depends on your reaction to those you contested together. I didn’t show any kind of attitude that would make them react in a bad way; I wasn’t showing that I am the most qualified because of my position or business. Naturally, we are brothers because all of us came from the same father. But you know when you start growing up, the family starts getting big, and everyone will go different ways. We came together, they called me, I called them too, we advised ourselves. My one year anniversary is coming now, I have called them, and some of them have already reached out to me.

Do you think that traditional rulers are playing the roles expected of them under this democratic dispensation?
I will say yes! Because most of the cases I am handling here, if not because I am on the throne, it would have been another thing. It’s very rare to see cases that cannot be resolved at the family level and brought to the palace to escalate. I have formed different committees that would deal with different issues including land issues.

The Oluwo of Iwo has always been discouraging kings from getting involved in the selling of lands. From your experience in the last one year, what are the factors you think are making kings get themselves involved in selling lands?
It is not right for a king to be selling land. You can lease out land. If my parents had sold their lands where would I come to stay today? Imagine if they had sold all the lands and I am the king, where would my territory stretch to? Our land is our heritage and nobody is supposed to be selling land.

Even if you want to sell land, don’t sell bulk land, I prefer you lease out land to people, because when you lease, the land still belongs to the community. That is what they do overseas. When you sell out your land what legacy are you leaving behind for future generations? Since I came on the throne, I can boast of it that I have never sold a plot of land; I would rather lease it out for development.

Can you compare the process of selecting kings in the past to that of the present day?
In the past, they use ifa oracle to select, but these days, because nobody sworn an oath to the Ifa oracle, they based the selection of an oba on who you are, what you can do to develop your community, what have you done and how many people have you helped in your community, which I believe is something of value because the religion preached good behavior. The kingmakers take this into consideration when selecting a king. The ifa oracle being consulted before what are they looking for? Good behavior, good governance, ability to do well. In the past people can twist whatever the ifa oracle says and bad things will start happening. The way we select here, I give credit to the kingmakers. They told me they want their conscience to be clear before and after the selection and they don’t want any bribe. I asked them why they refused to collect something, they told me people were stretching their hands to them, but because they want to have a very clear conscience before, during and after their decision, they don’t want anything that would affect their sense of judgment. They said if they select somebody who is not qualified because of money and put such a person on the throne, tomorrow, they will suffer for it.

What day would you describe as memorable in your life?
I will say, the first day I was installed. As I was coming, I saw queues of people on the road and I asked myself, what is this? Then tears started rolling down my eyes and I gave glory to God. And the only thing that makes me happy is that they listen to what I want. I can say and also boast that I was never taken to any shrine or given anything to drink, eat or soap to bathe. I told them what I wanted initially; I wanted the two religions, Christian and Muslims. Christians will come in the morning to pray and the Muslims in the afternoon till evening to pray every day for the 21 days that I spent in seclusion. Everybody came in to see me.

What you are saying in essence is that there is no secret thing about becoming a king?
Even before I came to Nigeria to become king, people discouraged me saying that I was going to eat the heart of a dead king. I said when I get there if I said I don’t want it, the worst thing they will say is no, I should go. The immediate late king was a Christian, he used to come to me in London, he stays with me, I never see him use anything, we ate and prayed together in the morning and evening before you go to bed. If he wants to go to church, we go together. His door is always open anytime. I am doing the same thing, you can go round my house, you are free to enter any corner, I don’t have any hidden place or locked up room in this palace.

What advice do you have for the federal government on how to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians?
My advice to them is first, I will start from the state, they should support the kings, when they support kings me, that will debar them from selling land. All fingers are not equal. I have been on the throne now for a year, but the government has not given me a salary. The executive board of governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State debarred me from having salary because the time I came to the throne fell within the date July 17, 2022 to November 2022, none of the kings that were installed then should be given salary. Imagine If I don’t have any reserve to fall back on, you lay your hands on whatever you see to make money. These are the things the government needs to look into. You know when you are hungry, you eat whatever you see.

You mean the government has not given you an official car?
Everything I am using belongs to me. Every kobo that I have spent is from me. The council still owes me money because by the time I came on the throne, the council had not been in place. When they came in, there was no money. They have not given me all the money they are supposed to spend. I borrowed money to do everything that we are doing from last year to this time. No official driver, nothing. I am the one paying salaries of all my staff.
Where would you want to see your town in the next five years?
I want to see my town become like a small London in the next five years. It’s because people made London great that’s why people are rushing there. Britain did not become great overnight, it’s the contributions of every tom, dick and harry that makes things great. This community will be great one day. We are going there and are working towards it. I thank God the people are cooperating with me because they believe me.