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Prince Adewole Adesida (1829-2005): The Deji Of Akure We Never Had By Dr. Wunmi Akintide As I embark on this eulogy, I cannot help but recall how the defunct Mid-Western Region of Nigeria had felt about the painful exit of the late Chief .J. S. Marriere, their first civilian Governor. If you can do the same, you will be close to getting a clearer picture of how Ondo State of Nigeria and Akure City in particular feel today, as we all mourn the sudden death of “Dan Saki”( Prince) Adewole Adesida who will be buried at the St David’s Cathedral Church Cemetery in Akure on June 23rd 2005. I cannot think of a better epithet to describe this transition than the same epithet crafted in Urhobo language that graphically brings to mind the place of Chief Marriere in the hearts of his people. I recall the Guardian Newspaper published by another Urhobo icon, Chief Michael Ibru, doing a special edition, announcing the death of Chief Marriere. It simply titled the announcement “Ovie Kpor” in Urhobo language meaning “The King is dead” Even though Chief Marriere was neither born into any royal family nor proclaimed a king, at any point, in his epoch-making life, he was truly a King in his own right. By the same token, the late Prince Adewole from the Adesida unit of the one and only Asodeboyede Ruling House in Akure was an “Ovie” of a kind in our own neck of the woods in Ondo State, Nigeria. He should have been our 43rd Deji of Akure, by unanimous consent, because he was that good. I would elaborate on tha t, in some details, if you bear with me as I dig deeper into this eulogy for a Prince Charming who had been a true hero and genius of our time, a role model, and a precious jewel of inestimable value to our beloved city, the Ondo State Capital, and certainly more so to the whole Ondo State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I present to all my readers around the world, a true prince of Akure I am very proud to call my uncle. He has been the chief spokesperson for the Asodeboyede Ruling House in Akure, at a time our history is being desecrated and compromised by a Governor and his Deputy who had become so power-drunk and insensitive that they would choose to dynamite the peace and quiet of their State Capital, by repeating the silly mistake of a hopelessly dictatorial military Government headed by Navy Captain Olukoya who had unilaterally chosen to break the only Asodeboyede Ruling House into two ruling Houses thereby giving 419 pretenders and phony princes with no provable linkage to Royalty in Akure, a wiggle room to start claiming what does not belong to them Such scenarios are very common in our country. The so-called Osupa/Odundun Family in a desperate attempt to produce a Deji by crooked means went all out to nominate Prince Adegbola Adelabu as one of their candidates for the Deji’s throne after taking so much money from him. A few months later, the same family has come out to openly denounce the man as a phony who should be rejected by the king makers. Right now, newly minted princes among them who did not realize they were part of that Family when the first batch of nominations were submitted to the king makers, had, all of a sudden, rediscover themselves and are now playing a pivotal role on why Adegbola Adelabu had to be stopped by all means. I repeat that if they are lying about Adelabu, who knows what else they are lying about. There are three parallel Obi of Onitsha as we speak The same thing can happen in our Akure..I will not be surprised, if Mr. Okechukwu of O.K. Stores in Akure or Ofei Day Spring Photographer in Akure is presented next as their candidate for the Deji’s throne. because Akure has been these individuals’ home away from home, for as long as any of us can remember. They have all grown up in Akure. They are married to Akure women and they speak Akure as fluently as the former Speaker of the Ondo House of Assembly, Kenneth Olawale who had his roots else where outside Akure, but he is as authentic an Akure man as any of us. For your information, Kenneth had represented my constituency in Igbatoro Fammilugba/Kajola/Igbatoro/ Igunshin axis in Akure Local Government area. Don’t be surpr ised, if under the Olukoya rule rubberstamped by Agagu and Omolade Oluwateru, Kenneth easily traces his lineage back to Oba Osupa and Odundun tomorrow, and he submits his name for consideration as a future Deji. It is a clear possibility from what we are all witnessing in Akure and else where across Nigeria.. The Olukoya Government was probably told that 43 Dejis have ruled in Akure since 1100 starting with Asodeboyede and up until the late Oba Ataiyese was crowned on his second consecutive attempt in 1991. All previous Dejis in Akure have always been selected from the only Asodeboyede Ruling House, thereby giving all surviving descendants of each of the 44 Dejis, that are able to prove their royal identity and linage, a chance to, at least, participate in the selection exercise for a new Deji, every time there is a vacancy. They have a right to be nominated, if they show interest, and the choice will then be left to the king makers to do their home work, and to pick their choice in accordance with the powers vested in them by the 1958 Chieftainc y Declaration and its subsequent amendments. The same protocol of asking the Asodeboyede Ruling House to nominate had been followed for close to 200 years in Akure history. It was followed when Ojijigogun was selected and when Odundun succeeded Ojijigogun in 1882. The same protocol was strictly followed in selecting Oba Arosoye in 1890, Oba Afunbiowo in 1897, Oba Agunsoye in 1957, Oba Otutubiosun in 1975 and Oba Ataiyese in 1991. What is the compelling reason for any Ondo State Government to change the protocol now? I just don’t see the rational. The Olukoya Government just wanted to create confusion by creating another ruling House .The present Queen of England had spent more than 50 years on the throne just like it has pleased God to grant Oba Afunbiowo long life on the throne for 60 years. Why should any sensible Governor, because of that, change the rule or move the g oal post, because of any fear the Adesidas have dominated the throne for so long.. It was an act of God that Oba Afunbiowo had reigned for so long. Agagu and Oluwateru cannot because of that deny the Adesidas or any of the remaining Dejis in Akure, their chances to participate in the selection process as part and parcel of the only ruling House in Akure. If the Asodeboyede Ruling House is allowed to conduct his own business without undue interference by a corrupt military or civilian Government, the kingmakers know who the genuine princes are in Akure, and will play pick the right candidate, like the Ijesha king makers had done, not too long ago, when they chose to pick Owa Agunlejika, a farmer, and rejected Prince Ladejola Oginni the millionaire business tycoon and a cousin of S.B. Bakare, the Sobaloju of Lagos. . Oba Afunbiowo was able to compete for the throne three consecutive times in 1882, 1890 and finally in 1897 when he finally got selected. Because he had reigned for 60 years before his exit in 1957, all of his other entitled cousins who could possibly have participated in the selection exercise, after him, were either too old or senile to be crowned a Deji. None of their surviving descendants, at the material time, could be picked as a Deji by the kingmakers because they could not prove that their biological fathers, had ever ascended the throne of Akure. The practice of looking for genuine prince to crown as a Deji, made a lot of sense to our finding fathers, at the time, because the king makers in their wisdom had wanted to be hundred per cent sure, the throne never went t o a” mutumu banza” meaning phony princes claiming to be a genuine ones in Akure, because they have position, influence and power, and because they have a lot of money to throw around, like we are now witnessing in Akure today as we speak. If there is any Akure Prince dead or alive who has consistently stood up for Asodeboyede as the only Ruling House in Akure, it was Prince Adewole Adesida. His position which I have always shared in all of my writings on the Deji, and which happens to be the truth, is that the selection exercise must be thrown wide open to all descendants of all the 44 Dejis without exception, especially now that the provision barring grand children from being selected a Deji, have now been expunged from the Declaration by consensus and popular demand. It is clearly a silly Declaration which will try to make it illegal for any grand children to be able to claim a title to which their biological parents were entitled. If another Deji were to again reign for as long as Oba Afunbiowo had done, there will always be surviving grand children of other Dejis in Akure to compete and be deemed qualified to be crowned a Deji. Narrowing down the selection of a Deji to just 2 out of the 44 Dejis like the Ondo State Government is doing today is a no brainer if they really think about it. The insensitivity of the Ondo State Government to the predicament of Akure under Agagu and Oluwateru has now been plainly played out by their decision to grant a “recess” recognition to the Osolo and the Iralepo chieftaincies in Akure, and presenting them with the staff of office during an interregnum, and without due consultation, and a clear division and a proper documentation of responsibilities was a stab in the back for all Akure people at home and abroad, and a great insult to Deji as an Institution. Agagu and Oluwateru who once claimed they wanted to steer clear of chieftaincy disputes and distractions in their efforts to develop Ondo State, have n ow put themselves at the epic center of controversy at the State Capital by going ahead to more or less permanently divide Akure into three separate kingdoms in the absence of a substantive Deji. The ripple effects of what Agagu and Oluwateru have done against the consensus of all Akure people is, without any question, the beginning of the end for the Agagu-led Government in Ondo State, and a flamable chain reaction, the end of which nobody can predict at this time. I thought the Owa Ale and Olukare stalemate that have become a running sore for years in Ikare-Akoko, should have thought Agagu and Oluwateru a lesson. May be, they plan to turn Akure into a battle ground for War, long after they leave office. It makes no sense at all. I must hasten to add that I am not personally opposed to granting some measure of recognition or autonomy to the Osolo and the Iralepo just to differentiate them from the rank and file of other quarter chiefs in Akure. Why? Because Akure tradition, from the get go, has always done that. What was needed was to clearly define their roles and the limits of their powers, and their relationship to the Deji and other quarter Chiefs in Akure The way the exercise was done and executed by the Agagu/Oluwateru Government was very egregious and offensive, if not dishonest. If Agagu is making them minor Obas or Bales, it ought to be clearly stated in black and white. The Government must also be compelled to carve out a kingdom for them from what used to belong in perpetuity to the Deji of Akure as the overall boss Agagu’s Government ought not to be allowed to destabilize Akure in that way. At a time Akure is still struggling to restrain Idanre from encroaching on Akure Land, Agagu and Oluwateru’s Government is adding more insult to an injury, and there is going to be a price to pay for that horrendous mistake sooner than later. The analogy with Abeokuta where the supremacy of the Alake is never in dispute, is neither apposite nor an iron-clad reassurance to the Akure Community at large, and the next Deji, that the two elevated chiefs may not, by and large, equate themselves with the Deji of Akure, just like Oba Dapo Tejuosho the Osile of Oke Ona had once tried to do to Alake, before he was put in his place. In other words, Akure as the State Capital now has three traditional rulers, and could still have more as the Odopetu or the Sao now borrowing a leaf from the Osolo and the Iralepo, may now seek to be recognized as minor Obas, because they too like the Osolo and Iralepo, were, by tradition, allowed to wear beede d crowns during certain ceremonial occasions in their respective quarters. The Odopetu wears the so-called “Oliki” crown, while the Sao wears the “Ogun” crown. If Agagu as an Iju-Odo/Ikale man is ignorant and insensitive to Akure History and tradition, how does anyone excuse Omolade Oluwateru who is Deputy Governor today, because he is an Akure son. As far as Akure is concerned, Agagu and Oluwateru have murdered sleep, on this issue, and shall sleep no more, if Akure goes up in flame, because of the way this exercise has been carried out, without adequate consultation, painstaking preparations and very thorough reflections. What was the hurry in not allowing a new Deji to be installed before Akure is rail-roaded into this potentially dangerous development? It is a legitimate question to ask? One of the very few Princes in Akure who could have helped to douse the fire and to keep the tension down, and stop the situation from deteriorating into an absolute chaos or quagmire, at this point in time, is the late Prince Adewole Adesida. That, in part, explains why I think his death could not have occurred at a worse time for all our people, and even for the Government of Ondo State. As an dministrator, I am scared to death about the fall out from this horrendous development in Akure. The greatness of Prince Adewole Adesida is underscored by his principled stand for the truth at all times. Born as the first son of Prince J. S. Adegboye Adesida of blessed memory, he was cut out for greatness and privilege right from his child hood. He attended St David’s, the primadona of all Primary Schools in Akure before gaining admission to Kings College, Lagos, and passing his final examination with exception from London matriculation. He then proceeded to the United Kingdom where he attended the London School of Economics (LSE) where he had obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He returned to Nigeria to join the Western Nigeria Public Service where he was soon elevated to the position of General Manager of the Housing Corporation. Under his able leadership, the Housing Corporati on has not only pioneered the Housing revolution in the old Western Region, he had raised and nurtured the Housing Corporation Football team into regional and national prominence lasting more than two decades.. On the creation of Ondo State, he had been named the first General manager of the Ondo State Housing Corporation where he performed the same magic under Governor Ita David Ikpeme, thus laying the infrastructure for the take-off of Ondo State. He again started the Ondo State Housing Corporation football team that has put Ondo State among the first national Football League league in Nigeria. He soon rose to become Permanent Secretary in the Ondo State Public Service, and was assigned as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works. He was an incorruptible public servant. He had carried himself with dignity befitting a Prince any where in the civilized world. He could easily have made his millions in all the positions of power he had served in Nigeria. He was clearly a breed apart, and evidently a “sui generis” one of a kind. Im peccably dressed, handsome, articulate, eloquent, intelligent and hardworking, always looking to be the best in everything he had done. His determination to always go for the best had seen him going to Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on an in-service training to obtain his Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Management. He was a model of Royalty, and a true blue blood whose charisma was absolutely contagious. As a married man, he was a role model of a husband, and he had a unique luck of marrying from one of the most illustrious families in Akure. His wife is the first daughter of that great Akure educationist in late Pa S. O Abiodun of blessed memory.. She was a retired Chief Matron and Chief Nursing Officer of the Akure General Hospital and one of the most responsible and loving wives Akure has ever known. They were like twin brother and sister. They are never too far apart. If you see one, you can be sure the other is just around the corner. They have been married for close to 50 years and the marriage has been richly blessed with first class children brought up in the Christian tradition and culture that has become the envy of other par ents. My heart goes out to “mummy” as she is fondly called in our extended family, as we join her in mourning the painful but glorious transition of her wonderful husband and life partner. He was a one time President of the Rotary Club of Akure and one of the pillars of St David’s Cathedral Church in Akure where he was honored with a Chieftaincy title. He was an active member of so many Organizations in Nigeria and Ondo State, and one of the Foundation members of the Harvard University Alumni Association in Nigeria and the London School of Economics (LSE) He was a prime candidate for the position of Secretary to Government in Ondo State after juggernauts like Iwajomo and Emuleomo, by reason of his merit and professional ability and competence He got retired from the Service because he was never a “kiss my ass” type of Permanent Secretary. He got retired thru a carefully orchestrated plot by a scheming, impatient and diabolical younger colleague of his who had made sure that no less than three or four permanent Secretaries who were senior to him in order of seniority, merit and competence, were forced to retire early, to open the way for him to be named the Secretary to Government. Prince Adewole Adesida was one of the three. The other two were Mr. J. K. Kolawole who had gone on transfer a s a commissioner to the Federal Civil Service Commission in Lagos, and the third was Chief Omiyale, another brilliant and competent Permanent Secretary from Iyin Ekiti . The Governor who was misled into becoming the hatchet man for the plot was Governor Okhai Mike Akhigbe, a personal friend of mine who had committed that atrocity, because he did not realize he was being used. The rest is history. What is important, however, is how Prince Adesida has quietly accepted the retirement and left the Service with his honor and integrity intact. He knew what was going on, but he was unflappable, and always willing to forgive and to move on.. He was just too sure of himself to be bothered by any attempt to pull him down... He was soon invited back to Government and offered a position of a Commissioner at the Ondo State Civil Service Commission under Governor Bandele Olumilua, and with Olusola Akintayo, a personal friend and classmate of mine at Ife University as Chairman. Prince Adesida was described by Olusola Akintayo, as an embodiment of Honor, loyalty and Integrity who was far more qualified and far more experienced and seasoned than himself to be Chairman, but who nevertheless, offered him all the moral support, he had needed to succeed as Chairman. Olusola Akintayo talks of Prince Adewole in superlatives even before he came to know he was my uncle. Prince Adesida’s last position in Government was as a Commissioner of the Ondo State Electoral Commission. He had served honorably in several other po sitions, I cannot begin to enumerate in this tribute, because they are just too many. But there was a particular one I cannot fail to mention in this tribute. He was the second Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sergeant Akintide Educational Endowment Foundation based in New York, and in Akure in Ondo State. He had taken over from Dr. Olusola Omobomi, one time Chairman of the Wema Bank in Nigeria. While the Prince was Chairman, the late Chief Samuel Akinola Osatuyi, the Asaju of St Thomas’s Church was Deputy Managing Director of the Foundation. The two of them, as I proudly recall, had managed the finances of the Foundation with absolute honesty and integrity that are very rare to find in our country. I would for ever remain grateful to the late Prince and late Chief Osatuyi for making sure that our first batch of scholarship winners did manage to complete their programs without any hitch. I must end this tribute by explaining why I call him” the Deji of Akure we have never had” In 1975, following the transition of Oba Agunsoye, Prince Adewole Adesida who was then the General manager of the Western Nigeria Housing Corporation had shown interest in becoming the next Deji as a descendant of the Asodeboyede Ruling House. There were 15 surviving King makers, at the time, out of the 21 statutory king makers in Akure. 9 out of the 15 King makers had supported his candidature. I knew it, because I was the Secretary to the Asodeboyede Ruling House as one of the Descendants of the 44 Dejis in Akure. Chief Asuwamo Adegbulu, an Oba Osuan descendant, was the Family Head at the time, and late Mr. Ige of Isinkan, was the Secretary to the Akure Local Government that observed the no mination exercise. The entire ruling House had held the nomination of potential candidates to be sent to the king makers at the Akure Youth Center. Prince Adewole Adesida was one of the grand children of a reigning Deji that had shown interest in the vacancy. So was late Prince Adedeji Adegoroye, and Prince Jaiyeola Faloye, plus seven direct children of Oba Afunbiowo. Because the “Omo Ori Ite” “born to a reigning Deji” provision was still very much in force in the 1958 Deji’s Declaration, the family was not allowed to send to the king makers, the names of Prince Adewole, Prince Adegoroye and Prince Faloye. We can all clearly see from this analysis that there is only one ruling House in Akure. Now that the “Omo ori ite” clause no longer debars any grand children from the throne, Prince Adewole and other grand children from the male or female line, like him, from any of the remaining descendants of a Deji in Akure can be a Deji tomorrow. It does not have to be an Adesida per se, but the final choice is all up to the king makers, the custodians of our tradition in that regard. Agagu has no business telling the king makers what to do. Whoever emerges from such a selection exercise whether he is an Adesida or an Adegboro or an Aladetoyinbo, or Aladejana or Adegbulu, would be warmly accepted by the rest of us and the generality of Akure pe ople the world over. We are all descendants of Asodeboyede. We all know ourselves and the strangers among us.. All the “Mutumu Banzas” running around today wanting to be crowned a Deji would be shown the way out, as they are only interested in taking undue advantage of the confusion that has arisen from asking descendants of 2 out of the 44 Dejis to now present a candidate, as late lawyer Bello clearly wanted to do in 1999 following the transition of Oba Ataiyese. The seven names that were sent to the king makers in 1975 were those of direct children which included late Prince Adeusi Adesida, the Akota of Ikota, late Prince Adelegan Adesida, Prince Adedeji Adesida, Prince Adelanke Adesida, late Prince Adebobajo Adesida, Prince Moradeyo Adesida, and late Prince Adeteye Adesida. It turned out that 9 out of the 15 king makers had already sworn on oath to give their support to Prince Adewole. When they were told his name was not on the list for the reasons stated above, there was disappointment and panic among the majority of the king makers. Rather than shift their loyalty to just any body, they unanimously asked Prince Adewole to name whoever he wanted them to support. Prince Adewole had named Prince Adelegan, because of the feud between him and Prince Adebobajo at the time. The nine king makers had voted en mass for Prince Adelegan who would not have received a single vote, left to him alone. Prince Adelegan therefore received 9 votes, Prince Adebobajo received 5 while Prince Adedeji received only 1 vote. Tha t in a nutshell, was how Prince Adelegan had become the 43rd Deji, as Oba Otitubiosun in 1975 by sheer destiny and luck. Prince Adewole was always a heartbeat from the Dejis’ throne, and he remained that way till the very end because he was clearly an “Atobatele” Prince Adewole could possibly have run again in 1991, following the transition of Oba Otutubiosun. He could not do it, because he had exhausted his wallet, because if you miss a chance to be king at your first attempt, you run the risk of putting your self in endless financial liquidation, like had happened to Oba Afunbiowo in 1882 when he first ran against Oba Odundun, and like he did again, when he ran against Oba Arosoye in1890. Oba Afunbiowo was conceivably willing to risk another financial liquidation in 1897 when he finally got the support of the majority of the kingmakers at the very first ballot I put the question again to Agagu and his docile Deputy. If Asodeboyede was not the only ruling House in Akure, how come Oba Afunbiowo was able to contest on three consecutive occasions? How come Oba Ataiyese was able to contest on two consecutive occasions before getting the nod in 1991. The only way out for Akure king makers to pick a new Deji our people can accept, is to go back to the same Asodeboyede Ruling House and starting the whole process all over again like I have always suggested.. Doing should permanently immortalize and honor the memory of the best Deji Akure has never had in “Dan Saki” (Prince) Adewole Adesida. May his soul rest in perfect peace?Amen. I rest my case. Dr. Wunmi Akintide
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