A renowned banker, devout Muslim, community leader, and politician, Chief Jamiu Ekungba, will be installed and turbaned as the Baba Adin of Owo Land today (March 3, 2023). In this interview with ADEWALE MOMOH, he underscores the honour and bestowed on him by his community and why he will remain committed to working for the upliftment of humanity.

Any moment from now, you’ll be installed and turbaned as the Baba Adin of Owo Land. How do you feel about this?
The first and foremost is that when you are recognised by your people, you feel very humbled and fulfilled at the same time. Actually, Owo is a very big community, and the geography is difficult to say. The domain of the Chief Imam is Owo Local Council. Although he is also the Chairman of the League of Imams and Alfas in Ondo State and the Secretary General for the Southwest, Edo, and Delta, this title is for Owo land.

I feel very happy about it, and I feel challenged. The challenge there is that we are at a time when the community needs a leader who will galvanise them to be able to bring out their best in all ramifications. That is the time I’m coming to serve.I also feel humbled to have been picked among so many qualified people. I feel fulfilled because this is a thing of joy for me, and I know Almighty Allah will assist me in being able to live up to the expectations of the Muslim community of Owo Land.

How will this new responsibility propel the advancement of Islam not only in Owo Land but in Ondo State as a whole?
Without being given responsibility, I think for time immemorial, since I can remember, maybe since I started working, I have found myself as a servant of the people in fulfilling the obligations of the community, not only for the Muslims in Ondo State but for the generality of the people.

Like I used to tell people, I had my secondary school years in New Church Grammar School. When we left secondary school those days, there was no JAMB then. I got admission to go to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, but my father refused and said he wanted me to be a teacher. Therefore, I also have to attend Saint John Mary Teachers College, so I was brought up in secondary education by Christians. Even today, in the New Church and St Andrews Cathedrals, I still remain one of their icons in the churches because I still pay my necessary dues to these organisations. I’m even, one of the patrons of the Boys Brigades.

For Ondo State, or the Southwest, and better put, the Yorubaland, because of our upbringing or the way we have operated in the past, I was the Chairman of the Lagos State Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) in 1979/80, and we left behind a legacy in the society in Lagos State, a legacy that is still standing today.

There is this organisation called The Companion, an organisation for Muslim professionals in Lagos State. By the grace of Almighty God, I’m one of the founders of that organisation in the early eighties.

What I’m trying to say is this: one has remained in the service of humanity since the day I left secondary school. I have served my people, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims, in Owo local council, in Ondo State, in Lagos State, and in the whole of the Southwest—not only the Muslims but the humanity.  

We thank God for what he has used us to achieve. Being turbaned today (March 3, 2024), is just the icing on the cake for what one has been doing all along. This turbaning is particularly being used for looking for ways to raise money to complete the Owo Central mosque project. That is just the main reason I had to take the title.

My service to the state, as I said earlier, is challenged. It means I’m challenged to do more. By the grace of God, I’ll continue to do my best, and I pray that the Almighty God will continue to assist me to achieve the best for the community.

What are the criteria used before one can be chosen as Baba Adin?
The criteria to be used are so many. Firstly, the community must have seen you as a rallying point for people. You see, people do believe that Nigerian politics has been so monetized that people believe that for you to attain anything, you must have spent money to achieve it.

I’ll give you an example: I’m the only politician in Ondo State, maybe in Nigeria that has a house on about two hectares of land on which there is no fence. I’m the only politician I know who has a house without a fence. I think the major criterion for selecting people is that you must be a man that is accessible to people, a man that people can reach and not only reach you, a man that will create the time out of none to listen to people’s problems and assist them in finding solutions.

It is not everybody that comes to you as a politician or as a political figure who has come to ask for money. This is the mistake people make, and that is why people put up fences because they don’t want people to come. Like my house for instance, people come as early as 5:00am and some times, we are still attending to people till 11:00 pm. They talk, and I’ll listen to them. Those who need money, if I don’t have money to give to them; all I do is to assist them on how to get the money. Some people come for advice, and you give them advice. Some people just need to be talked to, looking for someone to associate with.

Secondly, I do believe in an Islamic circle for somebody to be called Baba Adin, which is like a political leader of the Muslim community. That person should be able to have a fair knowledge of Islam. You don’t need to be an expert, but you should have a fair knowledge of what is called Sharia. Sharia is one of the basic principles of Islamic law. And you know Islam has laws guiding everything, even the way you relate with people.

So, such people have a very fair knowledge of Islam.
Thirdly, to be Baba Adin of a community that is cosmopolitan like our own (Owo), a community where religious diversity is the in thing, a community where religion does not cause crisis, such a person must have good interpersonal relationships, not only within the Islamic circle but also within the community. That is, to be a Baba Adin of a community that is cosmopolitan like our own (Owo), that person must be able to represent Islam properly. One of the groups Muslims interacted with in Medinah were Jews, and Prophet Muhammadu Rasulullaah (S.A.W.) was able to administer the community properly despite differences in religion.

So, these three criteria must be present for anybody to be made Baba Adin—a minimum of these three. Lastly, that person must be able to feed himself and should not expect the Muslim community to come and take care of him.

You will agree with me that Islam is the fastest-growing religion globally. However, in this region, specifically Ondo State and the Southwest, young people are gradually moving away from the religion they were born into. What could be the reasons behind this trend?
Apart from Nigeria, there is no other place in the world where the fastest-growing phenomenon is not Islam. Either economy, business, religion, or whatever, it is Islam that is fastest growing everywhere, including Japan. If it is the opposite in our community, then something serious is wrong, and the major thing wrong is a lack of knowledge. Once you have basic knowledge of life, there is no way you can leave Islam.

Atheists, scientists, and everybody else are becoming Muslims all over the world. If it is different in our community, then we need to know that something fundamental is lacking and that thing lacking is not more than the fact that people are bereft of basic knowledge of life. In our community, we have lost track of the Omoluabi ethos. Everybody wants to get rich quickly.

A lot of people leave Islam; it is not that all of them are going into orthodox Christianity; some of them are indeed going into pure paganism. They were looking for a place to be rich suddenly. Rather than getting better where they went, they got worse. Whether you are looking for one miracle or one juju to turn things around for you, it is all a lie, not true. You’ll see a 17-year-old boy who wants to use his own mother for rituals in order to be rich.

When we were 17 years old, our preoccupation was how to become real MEN. Money was not part of our agenda. I started work when I was 18, and I was earning ₦22. My father said I should be saving ₦10 out of it, and he told me what to do with the remaining ₦10, so what is left with me is ₦2. I didn’t even know I was saving money neither did I care what and why the savings. My father said I should do it and that is all. Now a 17-year-old child wants to ride the most beautiful car in the town. The matter that has befallen us is greater than some youth leaving Islam, it is a more fundamental issue that requires all stakeholders’ attention.

In this situation, we, as the elders of society, will need to talk to the politicians. The politicians should start to talk about how we can reorientate our people to be back to the Omoluabi ethos so that they know that no one can rush life. Our people are not only abandoning Islam alone; they are also abandoning the omoluabi system we are known for; they are also abandoning our customs and traditions.

Ramadan will begin in a few days, and with the current economic situation in the country, what will you advise Muslims on how to scale through the period?
Ramadan is a period of sacrifice; it is a time to reach out to your brothers. One of the best things the Prophet recommended during Ramadan is that we should eat together. Invite your sisters and brothers to come and break fast with you if you can afford it. Ramadan is a period for prayers; let us pray.

One thing Nigerians don’t know is that when you mention Nigeria, we start cursing our country. When you mention America, what they say is, God bless America. Let everybody pray for this country, ourselves, and our communities, and let us pray for peace not only in Nigeria but across the world. It is only when there is peace that life can go on . 

Ramadan is a unique month in which there is a day, which is Laylat-al-Qadr. Allah Subhanahu wa-ta’ala tells us that that day is better than 1000 months. If you calculate 1000 months, that is 83 years. So, if you are able to catch that night to pray, imagine praying for 83 years. I’ll advise Muslims not to allow any distractions during this glorious month.