For this 40 -year-old man , Ojo Ganiyu Ade life has been miserable for him. According to him, he has been in agony for the past seven years .He has been eating from hand to mouth since the year 2013. Reason : While in Lagos he was involved in an auto crash in 2013 on his way to work , he was still receiving treatment but could not complete it and unable to also fend for himself due to the auto crash that had incapacitated him.
Ojo narrated his harrowing experience to this reporter ” On that fateful day I was in a public transport in Lagos going to work when I suddenly heard a loud bang and that was all I could remember . I later found myself on the hospital bed at Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital . I saw my shattered bones, my two legs had broken and twisted. I was told that I was in coma for three days before I came back to live”. According Ojo , he is from Owo, ”I live at no 13, Ododasa st, Owo, Opposite Mobile Station’
”At Igbobi Hospital I spent one year and four months after I had undergone two major operations on my leg. When I could not continue to pay the hospital bill the doctor advised that I should turn to an outpatient and be coming from home as the feeding and admission bill issue would be deducted from my hospital bills .
FIANCEE RAN AWAY AS LANDLORD EJECTED ME
He continued his pathetic story ”I began to go to the hospital from home , but I had barely spent one month at home when my landlord ejected me from my one room apartment . Not only this my fiancee ( names withheld) deserted me .She came to the hospital to see me twice and that was the last time I saw her for I did not see her again .I therefore accepted my fate . Today I have no wife and no child at the age of 40”. When my landlord evicted me I went to church where I stayed for some months before I came back to my home town, Owo”
AT THE FMC, Owo
”When I got to Owo , I went to the Federal Medical Centre , Owo to continue my treatment. Last year the doctors in charge of my case said they would do skin graft for me and was told that the medical expenses would cost 220k but when there was no money so I started going to Pharmacy store to purchase what I needed for the dressing and was doing it on my own .that was how an stopped going to the hospital .Recently when I was having excruciating pains and went to the FMC again last week , on the 8th of May the hospital bill has gone up to 505k according to the doctor. The doctor said I would need skin graft and another operation on the legs”.
NAME: OJO GANIYU ADE
PHONE NO :09028365641
BANK : ACCESS BANK
ACCOUNT NO: 0030983342
HOUSE ADDRESS: 13, Ododasa , opposite Total Filling Station
Help , I am dying – Isah Husainah
Help , my sister is dying
…..She is dying
…….Her Fiancé ran away
…….We are orphans
For this woman , no other words comes out from her mouth than ” Help !, I am having pains, pains and pains”. For Hussainah in the morning it is pains , in the afternoon it is pains and at night the pains would not let her sleep according to her Cousin. “She groans in pain everyday , she cannot eat properly or drink water with ease as a result of the pain” . .Accoding to information gathered from her sister, Husainah has been like this for the past three years.
The Community head of Unaun , Owo , Prince Olanrewaju Abegunde said he is sympathetic with the woman condition but does not have enough money to assist her, he said ” Hussainah’s sister has been crying begging for financial help in order to take her sister to the hospital” . Prince Abegunde continued ,” though the woman has no energy to talk as she groans in pains , she said her illness started three years ago when she discovered a lump on her breast and went to a private hospital ( names withheld ) to operate it in Lagos but immediately after the operation she started feeling pains again from same breast.No one knows whether it is Cancer or not. She showed all various of laboratory tests she has done and she is still having pains”.
” We have no money to take her to the hospital , and we have appealed to many people but no help””, said her sister .
Prince Abegunde said ” I am begging the good-spirited Nigerians to come to her aid before she dies.She lives in OWO , Ondo state .She is undergoing pains, she needs help”.
According to her Sister, Hussainah is 30 years , she has no husband , ” You see, since over three years she has been suffering like this no man even looked at her, she is just 30 years of age .Please help her before it is too late, she has no parents and we are poor”
To reach the woman
Mrs Isah Hussainah
Gtb 0162417802
If you want to take her to the hospital contact Olunaun of Unaun Prince Olanrewaju Abegunde +2348035827770
( In Owo dialect) Eghen Oma Ogho e ba mi sope ghon’Oloron ooo o
……How Coronavirus dealt with me
……..How God brought me back to life
……. I celebrated my birthday
…My plan to establish jewel factory in Nigeria
Yesterday was Mrs. Muibat Oshodi Ogunsakin’s birthday as she added another year to her age. While her children woke up and sang a birthday song for her but she did not cut cake and did not receive visitors instead she was on phone thanking everybody and God for their support and prayers for witnessing another birthday in her lifetime. Mrs. Ogunsakin narrates her near- death experience to Taiwo Abiodun
HOW CORONAVIRUS ALMOST DASHED MY HOPE
The Nigerian businesswoman who has spent 30years in America said she will live to remember how her hope of going back to her country, Nigeria was aborted when her preparation had reached 90 per cent to go back home . She said ”after spending 30years in America , I planned to go back home and established a jewelry factory. I had already shipped most of my things to Nigeria when tragedy struck. I became sick as I contracted Coronavirus and could not go again.”
WHERE I CAUGHT THE INFECTION
The business woman who has shops at Maryland, America continued her story ”I have two shops where I sell wigs and jewelries .I am a mother of three and was planning to relocate back home to Nigeria when I contracted this deadly virus. Infact I was already shipping my things to Nigeria before I fell ill. It was like a joke until the reality dawned on me .
”Well, I have a two day business store in market place which are Saturday and Sunday and always very busy in there so I didn’t know exactly when I contracted the disease but I started having running nose in one of the Saturdays in there, so I thought it was just the normal headache and fever.Normally I don’t like taking medicine . But when it started getting worse then I started taking it from talinum then followed by headache . shortly after that my children wanted to take me to the hospital.
”I had the dreaded disease and I believe that I got infected from my shop where I sell wigs and jewelries . I believe I caught the virus actually at the early stage because I was falling sick and of course nothing like coronavirus was on my mind .I was having fever and in the middle of the night I would be sweating even if I take off my dress. I would be sweating even if you squeeze it you will see a lot of water. Little by little and slowly I was losing my strength and with so much high fever all the time and loss of appetite, but I was thinking that may be it was just a little cold or something that I would just sleep it over, may be if I sleep or if I do something differently it will be over but it kept growing. Then I couldn’t walk , if I had to walk I would hold on to something , then if I was going upstairs it would take a long time ,so it was getting worse . I did not want to scare my children but being who I am I thought that everything was okay , I just slept over it, thinking everything would be alright ,that was all about it .Then it started to get into me deeper and deeper that occasionally I would have this high fever , very , very high; then all of a sudden it will become cold , very cold ; very ,very cold. I don’t know what kind of cold for I have not experienced such in life.Day by day it was getting worse and worse,then the loss of appetite and I couldn’t smell anything . I couldn’t eat and in the middle of the night, it became nightmare . My children offered to take me to see the doctor but I said it was nothing and that I would get over it anyway. One night when I slept I was very weak, I didn’t complain , all of a sudden the heat came upon me, it was like a big blow into my head , my body ..like my blood was very hot it was too was as if I had gone , gone out of this world.I was totally gone. I was watching myself on the ground , I couldn’t get up from the floor,luckily I saw one pastor I will not mention his name , he was standing beside me while I was looking at my body on the ground and the pastor at the same time looking at me trying to get into my body , he touched me , got inside my body and I came back to life !.It was in the middle of the night”.
I WAS IN ISOLATION AT HOME FOR THREE WEEKS
AT THE HOSPITAL
”When I woke up my children came to see me in the morning and were giving me all medicines in this world .I was thinking i would be okay .My body temperature would be so hot then my kids offered to take me to the hospital ,the doctor said there was nothing they could do since the emergency was full. They said it was coronavirus, they gave me same regular talinum …no medicine , no vaccination for it so the doctor sent me back home, its like sending a sick man back home to go and die .So my children gave me green tea and ginger a lot ,I take lemon in the morning before I eat, I eat ginger from morning till night. I couldn’t eat , there was loss of appetite,that was all , then I started to eat little by little , the coronavirus doesn’t go away but it is not like before.It will attack you and will not go away, I don’t know how to explain it . Since then I take ginger and tea, I take lemon , so that is it .I thank God almighty so ginger perform so many wonders.
THE STAGES AND CHANCE OF SURVIVAL
”There are stages to it , I am not a medical doctor, some can have it mild, some in a way that will take away their lives. Some have good immune system ,some have weak immune system, some with high sugar, high blood pressure , some suffer for a while because I know some damages it has done on me.I bounced back ,after that I still managed to do some exercise with machine .
”Now I am trying to stay away from the crowd. I quarantined myself for about three weeks . I kept away from my children so as not to infect them.I pray for you not to be infected , it was a nasty experience.
IF NOT GOD….
THOSE WITH LOW IMMUNITY AT RISK
”Yes, the sick ones could be easily infected because of their low immunity I believe so , because I have problems its like borderline. I have diabetes, high blood pressure ,I am trying not to take medicine, because once you start , you will not stop taking it . I believe I am going back to my country and don’t want to go through their medical system.
”Well, when there is no medicine I know of now , I don’t know if people say chloroquine is to be taken .We need to take herbs which saved my life, we should take lime, garlic and ginger , that is it” .
I EXERCISE AT HOME
According to Mrs. Ogunsakin she is at home doing exercise, walking and going to physiotherapist for exercise , ”I am still taking herbs and I am doing exercise which is the best and also part of medicine. I go to the treadmill . I am getting much better everyday”
She sent her words to many at home ”obey the rules of hygiene, take your herbs, take hot and good food , take or eat a lot of ginger, lemon and garlic which are very medicinal and cover your nose with masks above all observe the six feet social distance.”
MY BIRTHDAY
VOTE OF THANKS
Ogunsakin who said she is going to establish a Charity Home in Nigeria said ”I thank Owo indigenes , my friends, my well wishers and the Almighty God for saving my life. Yesterday was my birthday.I am getting better everyday and when the airports start working I will go back to Nigeria to start my jewelry business”.
Watching her from afar off one could take her for a man as she was dressed in Yoruba traditional male’s attire but her feminine voice and features revealed her gender. She is a stage wizard. She is a multi-lateral combination of talents. While on stage her skills and talents are displayed: chanting, singing, dancing, reciting poems and panegyrics with eyes shut as if in trance. She squeezes her face , tightens her lips, grinds her teeth as she clinches firmly on the microphone and would suddenly go on her knees and immovable as if electrocuted. Her gap tooth , complexion, voice and humility could melt a man’s heart. She is excellent in the usage of Yoruba proverbs, idioms and aphorisms.Her words cool frayed nerves. She is rich in Yoruba composition , a gifted Oral Artist and she chants Hunter’s poetry (Ijala Ode), poems and shower panegyrics at ceremonies like wedding, naming, house warming, burial among others.
Okoto Akewi
She responds to questions with proverbs and would render chants with her infectious smile .Not only this, her humility is superb inspite her talent and wealth of experience. She knows the panegyrics (oriki ) of almost all the Yoruba towns ,names, professions and what have you. She does not need to think twice or guess before she showers your oriki on you. This is the life of a 24 year-old lady who is from Owolanke family in Oyo town.
”She is a stage wizard .She is a multilateral combination of talents. While on stage she exhibits her stage craft as she chants, sings, dances,recites poems and panegyrics with eyes shut as if in trance.”
Doing her job
AT THE PALACE OF ALAAFIN OF OYO
Okoto Akewi is a household name in Oyo. She has become a brand .She is well known at the palace of Alaafin of Oyo . She is a computer wizard . Who has the gut to wake up Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III up in his palace?. Who will be in Iku Baba Yeye‘s compound and be making ‘noise’?.’
Who dares go to Alase Ekeji Orisa’s palace and be shouting on top of his voice?.No one , no one can try it except only and the only one the Okoto Akewi also known as Omo Iku Elerin who with her velvet voice would sing, chant and praise the Iku Baba Yeye , Alase Ekeji Orisa ,the second in command to God . According to her she goes to the Palace everyday to chant for Alaafin of Oyo.”I have been doing that since my secondary school days .When I was in Oyo College of Education ( Special) I used to go to the palace during our Cultural week. For the past six years I took it as a duty to be going to the Palace daily to perform, you know our Monarch loves Culture and he is the father of Yoruba Tradition and Culture. . ”, she said.
”Who has the gut to wake up Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III up in his palace?. Who will be in Iku Baba Yeye’s compound and be making ‘noise’?. Who dares go to Alase Ekeji Orisa’s palace and be shouting on top of his voice?.No one , no one can try it except only and the only one the Okoto Akewi also known as Omo Iku Elerin who with her velvet voice would sing, chant and praise the Iku Baba Yeye , Alase Ekeji Orisa ,the second in command to God”
She wakes up the Alaafin of Oyo , Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III every morning with her golden voice. When she opens her mouth and sing everybody listens .When she chant panegyrics (oriki) and shower praises on her clients they open their wallets to appreciate her .Her words is full of wisdom . She is talented, an enigma , an Historian and a promoter of Yoruba Arts and Culture and has made it globally accepted .Her voice has spread and gone international as she receives calls from United Kingdom,Australia , America and all over the world chanting and raining praises on his clients. That is the lady in Oyo who is the raving moment shaking the Ewi Industry .Welcome to the world of Ogundele Nike Suliat aka Okoto Akewi Omo ekun elerin.
Okoto Akewi at work
ITS GOD’S GIFT
She introduced herself”My name is Ogundele Nike Suliat also known as Okoto Akewi Omo Ekun Elerin. I attended Agboye Baptist Primary School Oyo, St. Bernadine Girls Grammar School Oyo . From here I proceeded to Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, the only special school in Sub- Sahara Africa where I studied Computer Science .
I started chanting panegyrics at age five. I am now 24 years of age .My parents supported my work because it is a congenial occupation in the family .My grandfather was a Hunter chanting Ijala while my late father was also in the same profession but for one reason or the other he stopped and went into business. He died about one and a half years ago.Only my mother that is alive today .I started chanting while in primary school .I continued in secondary school, during the Cultural programme in School I used to go to the Palace to participate in the Cultural activities .
At my NCE level I was always invited to perform .So when I completed my NCE program, I went fully into it”.
Okoto Akewi’s Group
MEANING OF ‘OKOTO AKEWI’
Asked to tell the meaning of Okoto Akewi, she laughed , then shook her head as if she remembered an episode and then said ”It has deeper meaning, it is pregnant with meanings”,she continued as she spoke like a Philosopher ,”you know Life is like a game, Okoto ( Apex of a snail that cannot stand upright, a brown seed that rolls ) it is a piece of brown seed that rolls when played , it is like life , unstable and you don’t know what its result would be.It is unpredictable.Life is unpredictable , full of disappointments. That is Okoto Akewi.I have faced and experienced some things in life and I decided to have the name for my group”.
WHY I WEAR MEN’S CLOTHES
Asked why she wears male’s clothes all the time , she defended herself ”I love wearing men’s clothes because it makes me free, allows me to swing sideways and prance around on stage. It makes me to be free and easy while on stage”.She beat her chest and said ” I cannot count the number of male’s clothes I have , I have a lot and I love them all”.
OUR CULTURE IS RICH
Okoto Akewi said she didn’t know the profession would gain world acceptance as it is now , she said ”I never knew it will be generally accepted like this.I was just playing with it just doing what I enjoy doing most until it became part and parcel of me. Today many invite me to parties, naming ceremonies, wedding ceremonies and burial ceremonies ..I enjoy doing it”
She pleaded to Yoruba people and said ”Our culture is going down and we need to make sure it does not go into extinction .I thank God for everything is going on well, thank God things are working fine.We are from Oduduwa and our Culture is rich, we should take our Culture to higher height .North, South, East and West , home is the best, we should not abandon our culture for foreign one”
She gave the importance of Chanting panegyrics , according to her ”when we chant oriki, or praise you will be happy, it soothes your nerves.When a wife is angry let the husband shower oriki on her, and their differences ends, no more fighting .It is our tradition and that does not mean we are idol worshipers”
SOURCES OF MY WORK
Apart from having Ijala background, she said she goes from town to town asking elders, doing research on every Yoruba town’s panegyrics , stories and history . She said ” I travel to places, to towns and all areas in Yorubaland asking and seeking knowledge .
HOW I MAKE MY MONEY
Asked how much she charges Kabiyesi Alaafin as she goes to the palace to chant, she replied ”He is my father and the father of Yoruba Tradition and Culture, I cannot charge him but what he gives me is more than charging him. When I chant at the palace of Alaafin of Oyo , Oba Lamidi Adeyemi , father of Yoruba Tradition and Culture , Kabiyesi would just give me money, huge one, he would not count it , huge amount of money, huge money. He loves Yoruba Culture. Kabiyesi is a great Oba. If not this novel coronavirus I would have been at the Palace by now chanting .For public performance they hire us and we are ready to go to anywhere even we are ready to go to America if invited. We do charge them but I will not tell you how much I charge(burst into a prolong laughter).
MY CHALLENGES
Okoto Akewi said although she enjoys the profession but faces challenges at many of the parties she is invited to. She said “when we are invited to perform at occasions musicians would not release microphone for us to use , they see us as are sub entertainers , they don’t want to release microphone for us to use .I have been to an occasion where I was to sing or chant but was not allowed as the musician refused to give us the opportunity or release the microphone .I remember an occasion where we had been paid but did not perform yet the man who invited us did not collect the money back .So what I normally do is to tell the Celebrant to inform the musician to let them know when we are to perform”.
”When I chant in the palace of Alaafin of Oyo , Oba Lamidi Adeyemi , father of Yoruba Tradition and Culture , Kabiyesi would just give me money, huge one, he would not count it , huge amount of money, huge money. He loves Yoruba Culture.Kabiyesi is a great Oba. If not this novel coronavirus I would be at the Palace”
MY FIRST BREAK EVEN
She speaks about the first money she made ”the first money I made was in 2017 when a man sent 100,000 naira (one hundred thousand naira) to me appreciating my work .I cannot mention his name .He was the first man to do that he lives in America, the man said he appreciates my work. Another man gave me 300,000naira to appreciate my work”.On what she does with the money , she said .The first instrument I bought is Gangan, the Yoruba special drum. I bought costumes for our Entertainment Group we wear for outing .”
I AM GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
Okoto Akewi said she would soon go back to school to study Yoruba as a Course she said ”I have National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Computer Science from College of Education , Oyo Special, I am going to Obafemi Awolowo University , Ife to read Bachelor in Arts degree in Yoruba Studies in order to have more knowledge in Yoruba Culture ”
MARRIAGE
Although she is still single but quickly added that she has a boyfriend she is going out with.”I am not yet married but I am going out with a guy, I have a boyfriend who loves my work’.’.
As she finished the interview she gave a parting gift by pouring oriki on this Reporter ,
YOU CONTESTED FOR THE OBASHIP THRONE AND YOU LOST HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GOT HOME
Well, em.. em.. like I was trying to express earlier, the Owo traditional stool has a very democratic way of selecting a new Olowo , and all the Omolowos except that of Chief Aralepo was the only one that voted for Prince Justice Adesuyi Olateru -Olagbegi , all the other ones voted for the incumbent Kabiyesi Ajibade Ogunoye. Em.. em.. it is not about wining itself, If I had won fine, but when I didn’t it is also fine . It is not a do or die affair,… after all we are all vying to make sure we have a better future for the community .Now that Kabiyesi has emerged I am also in support now he is on seat I feel….
I don’t have any ill feeling or bad feeling .
WHEN YOUR FATHER WAS ALIVE , HE WAS KNOWN TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN , HOW DID HE COPE WITH CULTURE AND HIS CHRISTIAN FAITH?. IT WAS RUMOURED THAT HE WAS NO MORE INTERESTED IN IGOGO FESTIVAL
I think I should correct the notion here about how most people that are not close to the traditional stool feel about most traditional institutions ..the Yoruba traditional institution is not necessarily a fetish institution, in every tribe , in every culture that you go in the universe you find all sorts of fetish issue in different skills so people always think that oh! to be a King in Yorubaland that person has to be fetish,that is not correct .Yes, he faced some challenges ,there were windows where the fetish inclination has to come in and I remember my father used to say that he has no business in anything fetish because it is against his own personal religion. Now in the Owo Constitution the way it is written gives the Olowo the audacity to have his own private religion regardless of the general culture of the community .If we are to referred to some previous past Olowos when in the days of Olowo Ogunoye the first, the Olagbegi the first these were the time popular religions like Muslim and Christians got into the region and they did not see it to be anything that would necessarily interfere with normal religion , it gave them whole…infact it is in history that Olowo Olateru Olagbegi actually converted to Islam so I don’t see anything special for my father to have embraced Christianity …in the 21st century.
HE LOVED IGOGO FESTIVAL
Yes,he did .Whenever the Igogo festival was coming up there there were lots of arrangements to be done, and he did everything.The town’s priest was Ajana. My father will always submit himself to make sure everything that needed to be done were done but you know in a community where we faced challenges where the divide has been prolong for so many years , it is expected that he would find different parties with different inclinations but my father was wholeheartedly behind the promotion of the culture of Owo .If he wasn’t he would not have been traveling with different Owo traditional Costumes.He carried along with him different Owo traditional Musicians , he promoted Owo Culture so many times , so he was never against the culture neither was he against the Igogo festival.The Igogo festival is actually the biggest festivals we have in Owo for someone not to be celebrating Sango , Ogun does not mean he did not love the festival, not everybody in Owo practices Sango or Islam so I think the notion should be corrected . I think is only those of us that were close to him will knew that he a lover of Owo Tradition and Culture
HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH RITUALS
”One of those like I said was that people expected him to perform certain rituals that they believed should be but he was not comfortable with that because being a legal luminary ,he knew that he could do whatever he wanted to do as long as he was comfortable with ….,or necessarily .Two , initially when he got to office the problem of the government gave him a little concern, he thought it would have been a good opportunity for the government to let him develop the community while he was still young and agile but thank God he was able to get over it as time progressed , you can see .His plan for Owo still manifested by and large with the things we have seen him done , with the construction of roads, the construction of the market, the new Banks , small scale business thrived ,the placement t of Owo citizens to high ranking offices in politics these are the things.We have an Owo governor now and it was a dream come true for him as well.
WHY HE DETHRONED SOME OF HIS CHIEFS
When it comes to the chieftaincy titles he was a bit shy of discussing the issue in the public because he was a private person, so he never wanted his words to be misconstrued. I believed that those he demoted must have really, really crossed his traditional line and they must have insulted the throne for him to have taken some drastic decisions and knowing him taking such a decision it must have been good for that.
TELL US THE CONTROVERSIAL FELLING OF 17 TREES ON HIS 17TH CORONATION ANNIVERSARY
This particular incidence I was privy to by chance , I think the man in question who was a very close person to Kabiyesi himself . We have a sacred place in palace called Igbodi, Igbodi is an area Olowo cherished and protected jealously , infact you cannot go hunting in that area except you are a member of Olowo’s probably immediate family , you cannot even be allowed to go to Igbodi because it is sacred . Now can you imagine during his 17th coronation anniversary of Kabiyesi , a chief (names withheld) cut down 17trees , and what did that mean ?. To a lay man it speaks volume .It was reported to Kabiyesi ,I guess he did not have the clear picture of the number of trees they cut but they lied to him that it was only three or four trees they fell but at last it was discovered that they were 17 trees they felled and it was on the 17th coronation anniversary of Kabiyesi! . What is the meaning?. So the chief needed to be disciplined that was what caused the particular scenario but the chief was lucky for he was dear to my father , before the demise of my father he was restored back to his position.
AKOWALOJA’S CASE:FALSE DEATH RUMOUR OF OLOWO
The Akowaloja that you are referring to was one of the senior Omolowos that was dethroned.That scenario if can remember couple of years ago it was rumored that Olowo has passed on and it was unfortunate that that particular Akowa was party to it. They went as far as celebrating his death and desecrating some areas within the palace indicating that the Olowo had died without having first class information about the issue . I guess they were so blinded in hate that they actually believed the Olowo had died and went ahead performing sacrifices and when my father got the evidence of such as evidence of photographs and videos from those that were involved he thought they had to be disciplined .I believed that was why that particular chief was dismissed which is a normal culture in Owo. If things like that happen in Owo the disciplinary action would be taken and he would be stripped of his tittle beads we call it a ja akon re ( The chief’s chieftaincy beads had been stripped off)which was to demote that individual .The Constitution in Owo also gave the Olowo the audacity and to remove his beads if it is necessary or give the position to someone else.
YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR FATHER , DO U WISH TO STEP INTO HIS SHOES WIVES
Aside from his resemblance I will not let his legacy be erased . I am going to put all things in place to make his name and Owo community great and by God’s grace I will definitely do it. If you look back into history about my family legacy from Olagbegi, I will never ever let the family legacy erased , anything that I can do I will do it .If I have anything to make Owo progress I will be a party to it . If you look back at the family legacy if you look a the days of Olagbegi they were very active when it comes to the Owo development community my grand father Sir Olateru Olagbegi II (KBE) , he was able to convert a community as to speak, archaic into a community to become a first class in Nigeria , and even as we stand and speak today it is still far away as Owo as per its location still continues to be the darling of the entire Yoruba race , as it is said in Yoruba parlance ibi gbogbo ni ile Owo ( every place is the land of Honor).Ko si omo Owo ti ko lowo lowo, ko si omo Owo ti ko nilari(there is no native of Owo that is not successful), these are the kinds of virtues of Owo that are always dear to my heart ,so I will always partake to what will be the progress of the entire lineage and to the community at large.
DURING THE CRISIS OF YOUR FATHER , HOW DID YOU ESCAPE
At that time fortunately for me I was not around, I was still abroad at the time the crisis occurred .God has a way of doing things ,when my father escaped with his life .. we thank God he was able to escape from there and went to America.Thank God he was able to stay with his family members and his children , and the time went by and fortunately when the new governor Olusegun Agagu came on board , we received the phone call that he should come back home and he came .
LARGEST PALACE IN W/AFRICA
The Olowo’s Palace fortunately for us we have that palace almost 700 years during the reign of Olowo Rengenjen ,it is from Oke Mapo.If you look at the landmass …. compared with the present location , include the new palace, I don’t know how any single individual had projected a landmass having much as that so we give it to Olowo Rengenjen who had the foresight, yes we give it to Olowo Rengenjen for having that foresight.We heard that my great grandfather had over 200wives so you could imagine to have such wives and the amount of areas that would be needed for such a family to live on.I am also very proud of the palace, the edifice that my grandfather built in that place till today still stand it also the best palaces, it is a pride that Owo has that till today not only in Yorubaland but anywhere in African region .It is also a pride to Owo.We thank God we still have it till today .
SECRET OF MY CLOSENESS TO THE OGUNOYES, AJIKES , AND OLAGBEGIS
There is no particular secret , like my grandfather always say ‘I keep no grudges’ ,this is one of the virtues I learnt from my grandfather , if you keep no grudges with anyone , have no ill feelings against anyone God will continue to bless and guide you. I don’t keep grudges in my mind .I don’t have grudges against anybody . I grew up within the Palace when I was seven years old .I knew Kabiyesi Ogunoye , I grew up with the majority of his children , if you look at my wedding picture and videos you will see Adegoke Ogunoye who was my best man at my wedding , some of them like the Olu Ajike we vied the throne together , and we are very close , right now he is in Dubai. Virtually I see all the Olagbegis, Ajikes and Ogunoyes as one . I see us all as Elewuokun. I see Olagbegi as Olagbegi Elewuokun,as I see Ogunoye as Ogunoye Elewuokun, I see Ajike as Ajike Elewuokun and I am Leke Elewuokun, I see no reason why I should have ill feelings against anyone.
MY LATE GRANDAD -SIR OLATERU OLAGBEGI II
”Anytime I heard that name, Sir Olateru Olagbegi II, KBE , he was one of most reigned kings in Owo , he had the opportunity to build Owo to the current status, he reigned at the time when Nigeria was still in the dark ages and he ruled when Nigeria was coming into the new era, and if you look at the things that happened during his reign ,he was able to accomplish every dream that he had., all his dream he was able to accomplish and for that alone I thank God and when I had the opportunity to live with him as a young boy he used to tell me that by God’s grace when he returned to the palace he would be able to explain things that happened to me .When I asked him in one occasion that ‘Papa how are you sure that you would return to your throne?’, he responded with great enthusiasm that he was he sure he would be returned back to his throne . It is written that definitely he would go back to his throne , and lo and behold 27years after he returned to his throne . He was sent away in 1966 and Kabiyesi Ogunoye came back in 1968, so the two years (1966 and 1968) most people always omit it but I always add it , because it is still two years being away from the throne , by 1968 to 1993 is now the 25years Ogunoye reigned , as far as Sir Olateru Olagbegi is concerned it took 27years before he could regain his throne, and for him to have left the throne 27 years and regained it I think it is the work of God .He developed Owo to its contemporary era , you can see that all the development he brought to Owo still stand today . I pray in the nearest future and the incumbent Olowo tries to bring back the lost glory , if not all,and I continue to pray for him that God would help him , and with the support of all the entire community.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LATE OLAGBEGI ‘S CHIEFS
”Emmmmm, Very much so, I am a Prince and also a chief of Otu Arala which is Otu Agba Omalogho, and we normally hold a session once in month. I also come to Igboroko Quarters under the leadership of Chief Ojumu there is nothing happening within the chiefs that I don’t participate in . I know a lot of chiefs by name , they know me , I have no grudges against anyone of then .We celebrate together , now we have our father Olowo Ogunoye I was there to celebrate with him. I was also a chief there as Otu Alara . I will forever have my allegiance to the Olowo, I will forever have my allegiance to Owo .Anything that promotes the unity and culture, anything s that promotes the development of Owo community you can always count that I will be there.
HAS YOUR POPULARITY DIMINISHED AFTER THE DEATH OF YOUR FATHER?
From my experience , I still enjoy all what I enjoyed while my father was here .Every person that I knew when my father was around I still meet them. This is still the same me, I still relate with them, I still do what I was doing when he was around . I still have access to the palace .I still enjoy the privileges , anywhere I appear in town I am still greeted and I thank God .I still have access to the palace , anywhere I appeared in town I am still greeted and welcome , and I really thank God for that.
THE PALACE WAS SACRED BUT WHEN HE HAD ACCIDENT WE ALL HEARD HOW NEWS FILTERED OUT, IT WAS LIKE THE PALACE LEAKS
There were many things that happened over ten years ago , it resulted to a lot of crisis in his life but we thank God that he was able to survive it that time , unfortunately that some people took it to themselves that he was dead.He read from different write ups ,he laughed over it and thank God that while some people thought he was dead he was not dead .
THE PALACE HAS A NEW FACELIFT NOW AS THE PRESENT OLOWO HAS ADDED BEAUTY TO IT
Whenever a new Olowo comes in there is a tendency for a new structure to be erected. During the reign of my father there were structures he erected in the back called Ugha Oluwa gbemileke, Ugha Eduma which is addition to the building . I pray for the current Olowo to do more that is the prayer .
YOUR GRAND FATHER’S VEHICLES STILL IN THE PALACE , ANY PLAN FOR THEM ?
They are my grandfather’s vehicles.They are still in the palace. The late Sir Olateru Olagbegi II ( KBE) was a flamboyant Monarch .He was ranked among the great Yoruba kings like the late Sir Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ife who was another great Yoruba Monarch .Yes, the vehicles ;Rose Royce and Mercedes Benz cars’ relics are still there in the palace. If you look at the vehicles very well you will know they are antique. There was a plan by my late father to refurbish them and put them in good condition .He told me that he wanted to buy engines and fix them . All these plans were in the offing before he died. My father travelled wide, he saw how in the Western world people appreciate all these vehicles .It was part of his plan before he died. You know we still have the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Mercedez Benz he used for campaign and toured Nigeria , it is today in the family’s museum .For me I pray we have a museum where we would keep all these. I know the family will one day do something. These vehicles belong to the Olateru Olagbegis which is a large family and are planning to have a mini museum which would be announced later.
IMMEDIATELY THE LATE OLOWO DIED THE WHOLE COUNTRY HEARD THE NEWS CONTRARY TO TRADITION , WHY ?
Yes, in Yoruba Culture when a King dies you don’t immediately announce it.Well, I think in this modern time, in this high technology and communication period many things filter out. And out of that is typical outplay of the time we are living now with the advent of social media , skype, whattshapp , facebook,,information fly around I know the news was leaked from the palace or someone who was privy to the news or who must have known somebody in the palace or somebody who is in the know of what was happening or what has happened .I am very sorry to say I doubt its one of the traditional chiefs.
WHY WAS THE LATE OLOWO RUMOURED DEAD SEVERAL TIMES
He died three times, he was a king like a cat with nine lives.I cannot say or tell exactly what caused all those rumours but he always told me it was the imagination of his enemies that people said he was sick, he was this and that .However when it was time to go he was called by his Creator and he joined his ancestors .
YOU SPEAK ALL THESE ,WHERE DID U GET ALL THESE FACTS?
”Right from my childhood I always find information about our History and Culture , I found it very interesting wherever I go in the community I mingle with people wherever I go, I tried to get facts its a life long I always have I tried to get facts rather than speaking on tautology. I ask the elders, i ask the families ., I go as far as entertaining people that I believe can give me vital information that I would need .I want to know all the traditions in Owo , I want to be more versed in Owo History because Owo is rich , very rich in Culture in Yoruba land . Owo is rich in History that is why I have been begging the State Government to bring back History where we would study the story of the past , about our heroes like Olowo Ajaka, Olowo Ajagbusiekun, Olowo Alubolokun, Olowo Adekola Ogunoye, Olowo Olateru -Olagbegi I, Olowo Ajike,among others .
Who dares go to Alase Ekeji Orisa’s palace and be shouting on top of his voice?.No one , no one can try it except only and the only one the Okoto Akewi also known as Omo Iku Elerin who with her velvet voice would sing, chant and praise the Iku Baba Yeye , Alase Ekeji Orisa ,the second in command to God . According to her she goes to the Palace everyday to chant for Alaafin of Oyo.”I have been doing that since my secondary school days .When I was in Oyo College of Education ( Special) I used to go to the palace during our Cultural week. For the past six years I took it as a duty to be going to the Palace daily to perform, you know our Monarch loves Culture and he is the father of Yoruba Tradition and Culture.
