HRM Oba Soliu Oyemonla Azeez, Agunoye 1V is the Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom and permanent Chairman, Traditional Council and Chiefs, Iwajowa Local Government, Area of Oyo State. In this interview with Khalid Imran on personality focus, he speaks about his background, secret behind his peaceful reign, gorgeous appearances, fulani-fermers’ clashes, identification with ODCF and other issues _ Excerpts.
Who is Oba Soliu Oyemonla Azeez?
I am a public servant fondly referred to as His Royal Majesty by culture and tradition Oba Soliu AbdulAzeez Ayefemiloye 1, Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom.
I was born about 54 years ago precisely, June 15 1969. I attended L.A Primary School, Oke Odo , Iganna between 1975 to 1981, then my secondary school, Iganna High school between 81 to 86. While I was in Primary, I was a prefect and in Secondary School too.
When I was about to gain admission into University, I wrote the JAMB but I couldn’t make it first time. I eventually proceeded for Higher School Certificate, advance level course at AUD Saki between 1988 and 89. While I was in Saki, I was also appointed as a Prefect. Later I got admission at University of Ibadan in 1993 and I finished in 1997. I bagged B.A Hons in English.
While at the University, I participated in extra curricular activities. I was the president of National Association of Kajola Students, then we were under Kajola Local Government. I was officer under Oke-Ogun students Union in University of Ibadan Chapter. I went for my NYSC at Dakingari in Kebbi State.
By divine grace, in 2009 I was favoured by popular opinion to come and serve as the 18th Sabiganna of Iganna Kingdom. Specifically, 5th of May, 2009. That was just the brief history of Sabiganna now.
Iganna Kingdom has been peaceful since you came on board as a monarch, what is the secret?
Since I’ve been on the throne, every one normally sees me busy, as uneasy lies on the head that wears the crown, there have been challenges, up and down, but I thank God that I have been able to manage the stress and challenges.
During my time, Iganna Kingdom, I mean Iwajowa local government has been able to make some achievements, changes in its landscape, physical development, human development, social development and even at the traditional council level, I have been able to pilot the council to achieve relative peace, unity, harmony and understanding.
We are able to manage ourselves so that in almost all the communities that are under Iwajowa Local Government, we have been able to sustain peace.
And as a member of Oyo State Council of Obas, we are able to make our own impacts right. We normally have our meeting in the State, unlike now when the meeting is no more coming up.
Even in Oke-Ogun, I am currently, the vice Chairman, Oke-Ogun Obas and Chiefs and I have been able to sustain the stability and unity among the Obas in Oke-Ogun, unlike in the past where there was a kind of disharmony or disunity among the Obas. The Obas are now speaking in one voice. Those are the roles we have been playing, reconciliation, advocacy where necessary all these have been helping in having some positive impacts.
On the area of youth development, I have tried hard in my 14 years of rulership to change the orientation of our youths most especially in the area of education, development and not only that,those who are educated, God has assisted me in gaining employments for some of them both at the federal and state levels and in terms of economic development, I’ve succeeded in establishing a 5-day market which is more or less an international market that is ‘Olorunda Market’. This market specialises in selling of food stuffs, raw and all other things. People are coming from all other States to trade in every 5 days, because we have greener economy here, we have to create available market that is closer to our people.
Generally with the help of God and assistance of notable and committed members of Sabiganna council and illustrious son and daughters of Iganna Kingdom, we have been able to impact positively on the lives of our people.
You always appear calm, decent and gorgeous in appearances, would you please substantiate that?.
I see this position as a call to service. I don’t see myself as a boss that is why I always address myself as a public servant. One needs to achieve this because it is a service to humanity, one needs to display humility to people, one needs to be very accommodative to people. My perception about life is that more or less like holidaying then you return home. It is not you’re coming to life that matters because God has a purpose of sending you to this world. It is your ability to impact, to change the environment for better. That is most important thing. My posture has always been to see myself as the servant of the people, as a person that is committed or given a divine call to serve humanity. So I need to be humble in my posture, accommodating and look elegant because as a leader I must be a role model. That has been my perception about life.
Fulani- Farmers’ clashes have become so rampant in Iwajowa Local Government, what are you doing to rescue the situation?.
I want to assure you that we are on top of the situation now. It is on record that Iwajowa is the most peaceful local government in oyo state. Just of recent the record has been blaming in some changes due to some crises, mostly proximity to Ibarapa Local Government. There was a crisis in Ibarapa that is giving us a lot of pressure that mostly of the fulanis that were driving away from Ibarapa axis, came down here. We are trying to manage them and some of them are recalcitrant or they are not law-abiding, we are trying to teach them the law of the land because I’m a peaceful person and I provide peaceful approach to violence. These are the issues we are trying to manage but it is very unfortunate that the attitude of those Fulanis has militarized our youth but one does not get overreaction where it is not even necessary.
We are Rounding up the situation with the help of the security Chiefs most especially the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, the Area Commander and all other security agencies. We have had series of meeting and I’m assuring you, it is going to be thing of the past.
Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum(ODCF) is in place and what is its mission towards the development of the zone?.
I I’m happy to identify myself as a person and as one of the prominent traditional rulers and I am able to identify myself as one of the ODCF members ably led by SAN Ahmed Raji. One, this Ahmed Raji is a round peg in a round hole. But this is the first time we are lucky to have a leader who is selfless, committed and patriotic, not only that but a leader that is philanthropic. We are grateful in Oke-Ogun that we have such a leader that has financial wherewithal to turn around Oke-Ogun, that is why we are all rallying around him. Part of his initiatives that we have known as a person, he has demonstrated his capacity to lead us, we need to identify with him. We so much belief in his ability as a person, as a philanthropist, as an illustrious son of Oke-Ogun and we believe ODCF will go places. Just like I said during the recent meeting we had, I was advising them that SAN Ahmed Raji is a role model, ODCF and Oke-Ogun and the traditional rulers as a whole need to emulate him, because this is a person that keeps spendin his hard-earned resources, he is allocating it not only to Iseyin but to every part of Oke-Ogun and that is why I’m advising that in case the government give any assets to Oke-Ogun, for example the public asset (Iseyin Campus of LAUTECH) that government gave to Oke-Ogun, we have to appreciate Governor Seyi Makinde for being magnanimous and compassionate to come to our aid in terms of education by approving LAUTECH given to us. It is a public asset and a very good asset that we need to manage it together. It shouldn’t be Iseyin affairs. Just like Raji is dishing his resources, what ever we want to do in that school, we must make sure we carry along every member of Oke-Ogun so that we see it as public asset to develop the place. It is not just the idea of establishing the school but maintenance of the school must be the responsibilities of all of us.
And at the same time when there is any opportunity for example if there is any slot for appointment for non-academic staff or any academic staff, it should be shared among the component members of Oke-Ogun, because that will sustain unity and harmony we are yearning for and that is what ODCF is standing for.
If we want to sustain an harmony among ourselves, we must see ourselves as stakeholders in everything that belongs to Oke-Ogun, it should not be a personal thing. In view of the experience we had in Oke-Ogun as most neglected part of Oyo state, if you have any opportunity now you have to do it in our own way that is constant with a peculiarity. We shouldn’t emulate all other parts of the state that are doing winners take all. That is only logic to sustain unity, understanding and harmony among us Oke-Ogun and that will promote and accelerate our development. Anything we want to do we will do it as a team. If we work as a team we will achieve everything we want to achieve.
It is on record that the creation of oke ogun state eluded us due to disunity and conflict of interest among us.
W e need to work against that, we need to prevent that. And that is what I stand for and this is in consonance with the attributes of SAN Ahmed Raji, he has been demonstrating it even with his hard-earned personal resources. We need to follow that part. As a prominent Oba in Oke-Ogun, I identify myself with ODCF and I believe ODCF came at the right time and we need to rally around it as a platform to achieve greater height in Oke-Ogun.
The problem we are having on Oke-Ogun is because most of our roads are bad. And road construction is very vital in any development. We urge the government to do something both the federal and the state like the road from Iseyin down to Benin Republic, it is an ECOWAS road. Apart from booming the economy of oyo state, it will also boost the economy of the country. There are lots of economic benefits between the two countries. The same thing with Saki and Okerete. Government needs to do something regarding that, what we need most is road construction then later on education, despite the lautech we have and the polytechnic saki, we still need federal university, we need federal presence in Oke-Ogun.
We are always supporting the government, thank you.
Once again my name is His Royal Majesty, Oba Soliu Oyemonla Tela Azeez Sabiganna of Iganna Land.
Kindly reach out to governments on areas to be touched in Iganna and Oke-Ogun as a whole.
In the first place, I need to appreciate our present government ably led by Governor Seyi Makinde. I used to tell people that he has been doing what Napoleon couldn’t do. The first governor to identify with our plights, the first governor that has passion for Oke-Ogun most especially in the area of physical development. We appreciate him and will continue to support him. I’ve been saying it that development of Oke-Ogun may not be tangible without connecting the other parts of Oke-Ogun especially in the area of road networks. For example, Oke-Ogun 1 started from Iseyin, there should be road linking Iseyin with all other parts of Oke-Ogun 1, Saki heads Oke-Ogun 2, there should be road network across Oke-Ogun 2 that links all other parts with saki. I think that will help in no small measure in accelerating the development and improvement in economic development and what a few.
