From Bode Durojaiye,Oyo.
Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, is a monarch with class.
He is a colossus by every standard and a chance meeting with him is like an expository adventure through a school of history.
The very urbane and amiable monarch, who worked as an insurance officer before heeding the natural call of the gods in the early 70s, through the Oyomesi, to ascend the throne of his fore-fathers as the Alaafin of the greatest kingdom
in the history of the black race – The Oyo Kingdom – is a man at home with himself at all times, as he exudes confidence in all his dealings.
One enviable and remarkable highpoint in the life of this great monarch is his deep knowledge and high sense of recounting historic events with facts and figures; and with an accuracy that will beat the imagination of youthful intellectuals.
The foremost traditional ruler is of the conviction that a people without a cultural identity of their own would be lost in the forward march of world history, and their contributions to human civilisation forgotten very easily.
Seventy-seven years ago today (October 15, 1938), a child was born to the royal family of the then Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeniran Adeyemi and Olori Ibironke Adeyemi 11 of Epo Gingin Compound, Oke- Afin, Oyo in the western part of Nigeria.
When the time came for his christening, he was called Abdul Lamid Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi. Little Adeyemi did not enjoy the tenderly and loving care of a mother, having lost her at a very early age.
He got the Quranic education at the Quranic School, Iseyin; later went to St. Andrews Primary School, Oyo. His primary school education was disrupted when he was moved to Abeokuta to live with the then Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oladepo Ademola.
However, his stay in Abeokuta was again to be truncated by the rebellion led against “tax without representation” by Chief Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti between 1947 and 1948.
The struggle forced the Egba monarch into exile in Osogbo, the present Osun State capital.
Undaunted by the setback, the young Adeyemi stayed
back to face life squarely, engaging in menial jobs to survive. When it was time for his secondary education, he got admission into St Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos, having come second in the entrance examination. His experience in Lagos was equally a challenging one.
He soldiered on, wrote his Senior Cambridge Examination and got excellent grades that qualified him to study Law at the University of London. His London trip was facilitated by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who organised a financial support for him through the African Continental Bank (ACB), Yaba, Lagos.
However, while arrangements were on for the trip to the United Kingdom, fate played a cruel game on him. Exactly on February 14, 1960, 48 hours to the scheduled date of departure, his father, Oba Adeniran died, thus aborting the plan of studying abroad.
The alternative was to get a job with the Royal Exchange Assurance, Marina, Lagos. Though without a university education, Oba Adeyemi has put to effective use his mastery of English Language, English Literature and History, the three subjects that gave him the UK law admission.
He is a prolific writer.
In the area of Yoruba and world history, he is in a class of his own.
He had been guest speaker at numerous forums organised by professional bodies and groups.
Of great importance were two of such articles written as far back as 1968, which have today become fulfilled prophecies. The first was “I Shall Be Great” and the second “I Shall
Be The Next Alaafin”.
Barely a week after the second article was written, the young Adeyemi was selected as the Alaafin-elect by six of the seven Oyo-Mesi in March, 1968. That marked the beginning of his tortuous journey to the exalted throne.
Because the then government of the day was not well disposed to his emergence as Alaafin, the selection exercise was repeated three times and he won on all the three occasions. Rather than endorsing his appointment, the Western Region government hid under the cloak of the
then on-going civil war to halt the whole process.
Though, the process was reopened again after the civil war in 1970, but it was a new beginning. His nomination was announced on 18th November, 1970; and the government eventually approved and gazetted his appointment in December 1970.
And so at a tender age of 32, he became Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111.
Alaafin Adeyemi 111 is an energetic, diligent, courageous
and irrepressible leader.
He has taken traditional leadership to another level, using his
exposure, wealth and power to benefit his people and mankind. The immediate family of the late Sam Ojebode, a former skipper of IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, will forever be grateful to the Kabiyesi for building and furnishing a house for them in the memory of their late father and husband.
The Alaafin has displayed a great deal of ingenuity in bringing touches of modernity to the ancient Oyo Palace without losing its traditional essence, a development that has turned the place to a tourist centre.
This touch is not only about the infrastructure and architectural design of the Palace, but also about the individuals that have statutory and traditional functions in the palace.
He has made life more comfortable for all of them.
This is not only in social values of veracity, egalitarianism, justice and democracy; but in dress, utterances and comportment; even the mere necessary trivialities that mark Nigeria and the locality as a distinctive entity”.
In ensuring the preservation of the culture and tradition of his
people as well as giving it international outlook, the Alaafin
appointed, four years ago, Dr. Paula Gomes, a Portuguese who had engaged in a great deal of research and organised educative lectures to showcase the beauty of Yoruba culture and tradition, a Cultural Ambassador.
In 1979, the Federal Government honoured Oba Adeyemi with the national honour of Commander Federal Republic (CFR), and a year later, the same government appointed him the pioneer Chancellor of the newly established Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, a position he held for a record time of 12 years of three terms.
Alaafin not only uplifted the ivory tower to enviable heights, but requested for a slot of 10 candidates to be offered scholarship from his personal purse annually.
The paramount ruler sponsored 120 students to study
courses of their interests at the university before he completed his tenure as the Chancellor.
To date, over 400 persons, none of who is his relations and children, had been offered scholarships.
Oba Adeyemi may not be a show man, but the paramount ruler shows the stuff of a genius whenever he is invited to occasions.
Not only does he impress the knowledgeable audience with his mastery of colonial history, his captivating speeches usually attract rounds of standing ovations that leave the audience wondering if he is indeed a monarch or a visiting professor of African History.
During his official invitation to Brazil, Alaafin left nobody,
including the country’s top government officials and eminent citizens, in doubt that he could have made good money had he opted for a career in public speaking or academics.
Moreover, Oba Adeyemi remains cynosure of all eyes during Id-el-kabir festival, as indigenes of the ancient Oyo town across the country, including the residents, irrespective of their religious inclinations are eager to come home and witness how their cherished monarch blend religion with tradition.
As early as 9am, the praying ground at Agunpopo
is filled to the brim by thousands of people awaiting the arrival of the monarch. After the prayer and slaughter of ram by the Chief Imam of the town, the people would still not leave until Alaafin rises up to vacate the venue.
The elated large crowd would, thereafter, follow his convoy to Lagbondoko area, a distance of about 15 metres from the palace, where the Alaafin would alight from his vehicle and walk with his people to the entrance of the palace.
Before reaching the palace entrance, another mammoth crowd is already awaiting his arrival, thus making the job of combined security agencies, which form part of the convoy, more hectic in controlling the tumultuous crowd.
The paramount ruler’s unique dance steps to delightful traditional beats are behold to watch, as the crowd hail their highly respected monarch thus, ‘’Kabiyesi, Iku Baba Yeye, Alase Ekeji Orisa’’.
Today, there are so many articles to his credit, too numerous to mention and Oba Adeyemi has delivered many papers as guest speaker by professional bodies and groups alike.
But of great importance and significance were two of such articles written as far back as 1968, which are today fulfilled prophecies.
The first was “I shall be great” and the second “I shall be the next Alaafin”.
Barely a week after the second one was written, the young Adeyemi was chosen as the Alaafin-elect by six of the seven Oyo-Mesi in March, 1968 and that marked the beginning of the tortuous journey to the exalted Alaafin throne.
To say that Oba Adeyemi, today, is a great king is an understatement.
Mounting the throne at the age of 32, Alaafin Lamidi
Olayiwola Adeyemi 111 has become one of the highly respected and influential monarchs in modern Yoruba era.
To a school of thought, which sees Alaafin Adeyemi 111 as a
workaholic, energetic, diligent, courageous, irrepressible and a man of consequence, his tough background, despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, undoubtedly, prepared him for the task ahead, despite the unfolding challenges.
Against the backdrop of the hardship he faced while growing up, Oba Adeyemi became a man of many parts and one of such is he is kind and compassionate and a philanthropist, using what God has endowed him with to touch the lives of the people. Oba Adeyemi has taken traditional headship to another level, using his exposure, wealth and power to benefit mankind.
Alaafin has displayed a great deal of ingenuity in bringing touches of modernity to the ancient Oyo Palace without losing its traditional essence, a development that has turned the place to a tourist centre.
This touch is not only about the infrastructure and architectural design of the palace, but also about the individuals that have statutory and traditional functions in the palace. For instance, the ‘Oyo-Mesi’, Alaafin’s cabinet members, and the Oyo kingmakers now individually cruise in personal cars as against the practice in the past, when all of them would cramp in one rickety bus, while accompanying the monarch on a function.
Talking in September 1984, he said: “A traditional ruler should be seen as the perfect embodiment of the culture of the place, as well as the synthesis of the aspirations and goals of the nation. This is not only in social values of veracity, egalitarianism, justice and democracy; but in dress, utterances and comportment; even the mere necessary trivialities that mark Nigeria and the locality as a distinctive entity”.
It is to the credit of Oba Adeyemi that a great number of his
colleague Obas across Yorubaland today are what they are in status, having used his position as a highly revered monarch, his robust sense of history, powerful writing skills and consideration for fellow human beings to advance their causes.
Alaafin relies heavily on the will and wishes of his subjects. In politics also, he is concerned about the sanctity of his position whatever happens and the welfare of his people.
Thus, to secure his support, a politician must convince him of
offering his exalted position the highest degree of dignity, respect and honour it deserves as well as the care of his people through the usual dividends of democracy.
A complete family man, the monarch loves sports a great deal and trains as a boxer till date.
These immortal words of Alexander Graham Bell – “The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion… It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider – and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation – persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree” – sum up the life voyage in the last 76 years of Alaafin’s indefatigable monarch, an enigma with an unequalled passion for the great good of all.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and other monarchs have poured encomiums on Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the Alaafin of Oyo.
They described him as a custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition.
Ajimobi described the monarch as a father who had always projected the culture and tradition of the Yoruba.
“He has always taken into consideration the safety and welfare of his subjects and will never compromise tradition, culture and development of his people We are celebrating flagship of royalty and foremost traditional ruler with unequalled passion,” she said.
Oba Samuel Adegbola, the Eleruwa of Eruwa, said Oba Adeyemi “is the Alaafin of the Yoruba race”, adding that his fatherly role among the people could not be quantified.
Adegbola said the monarch had lived beyond his subjects’ expectations in terms of fatherly advice, service to humanity and contributions to the development of the Yoruba.
Who is Alaafin? A moron who even while in London surrounds himself with small small girls young enough to be his granddaughters whom the idiot calls wives. Adeyemi is a big disgrace to Yorubas!