From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo
Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, is a monarch with class. He is an enigma by every standard and a chance meeting with him is like an expository adventure through a school of history.
The very urbane monarch, who worked as an insurance officer before heeding the natural call of the gods, through the Oyomesi to ascend the throne of his forefathers 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 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 civilization forgotten very easily.
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 fora 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 members of the Oyo-Mesi in March, 1968. That marked the beginning of his tortuous journey to the exalted throne.
And so at a tender age of 32, he became Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111.
The 77-year-old Alaafin 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 his people, both within the township and core villages.
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 former University of Sokoto, now known as the 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 ten candidates to be offered scholarship from his personal purse annually.
All together, 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 120 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 it 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 festivals, especially Id-el Kabir, indegenes 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 9 o clock in the morning, 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 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’’.
A paramount ruler with deep compassion and unrivaled generosity, Alaafin uses what God has endowed him with to touch the lives of the people.
No fewer than twenty-two communities, including township and villages had benefitted from Alaafin’s unusual gestures. The benefits include erection of electric poles and transformers, provision of micro-finances free of charge, construction of boreholes, garri processing centres with equipment and construction of blocks of classrooms.
All these amenities were solely financed by the Imperial Majesty.
Notable among the communities were Ilora, Akeetan Titun, Molaba, Araromi, Isokun, Olorunda, Sangodeyi, Soku, Ote-Efon and Aba-Aladie.
Also, last week, three more villages benefitted from the monarch’s largesse.
They were Fashola, Aba-Aladie and Sooku.
While a transformer was commissioned at Sooku, a well-furnished maternity centre was opened for use of the villagers.
Speaking exclusively with Freedom Online after commissioning, Oba Adeyemi 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 actions and deeds”.
“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.
On the secret of his successful reign, Alaafin averred thus: “These immortal words of Alexander Graham Bell that 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”.
