The Olu of Agege Kingdom, Oba Kamila Oyedeji Isiba: Agege Has Largest Tribes From Different Regions In West African
•I am ‘Aare Onakakanfo’ of Ijire Kingdom, ‘Osi Oba’ of Ojokoro Land
BY OLUWADAMILARE DANIELS
CREEKVIBES paid a working visit to the palace of Olu of Agege Kingdom, (HRM) His Royal Majesty, Oba Kamila Oyedeji Isiba “Long live the king!, Long Live Agege Kingdom! Long Live Lagos State!” The first-class traditional ruler in Lagos State poured out his heart on issues affecting the environment and also talked about his youthful years, Oba Kamila Oyedeji Isiba took over the mantle after ‘Oba Lateef Atanda Adams Akinsosonyin 1’ joined his regal ancestors in mortality in 2011.
The ruler of the Agege Kingdom, is a retired but not tired accountant with Lagos State Government, his kingdom can be traced back to 1954 when the Agege Local Government was first created, it was functional until 1967 after the first military tookover, it was merged with the Ikeja District council for thirteen years, and it was removed from the Ikeja Local Government in 1980 until 1983 when the Military took over power again and abolished the existing system of Local Government at that time. Again the Governance of Agege remained with Ikeja for another six years before it was allowed to give birth to three other Local Government areas namely; Alimosho, Ifako Ijaye and Orile-Agege Local Government Areas.
The royal father took a few questions from CREEKVIBES. Excerpt;
Can you brief us on how people get help from the palace, and how you have been able to hold forth the diverse people with different cultures and ideologies living within the Agege community?
Generally, we give God the glory; we won’t be cast into the earth at our young ages; we won’t bury our young ones as well. The issue of overseeing and governing the Agege Kingdom is a privilege bestowed upon me by God, and He is the sole director of the kingdom.
In the whole of Lagos State, this kingdom is known to be the one with the largest number of diverse tribes and different cultural backgrounds.
If we talk about Ajegunle, Idi-Araba, and Ijora we know the people that are there, but when it comes to people living within the Agege kingdom, they are vast indigenes of different West African countries who are co-habiting here, although we Hausa, Igbo in large proportion but by His grace, we have succeeded in creating truce among the tribes by having leaders among them, whereby if there is confusion between two tribes, I and my governing councils will send for their leaders fix a date to meet with them and we will resolve issues amicably for the betterment of the kingdom and in return, it will make the kingdom better and bigger.
We have the conference of Yoruba and Hausa communities I have a PA on security matters that is a Northerner.
How is the governing council constituted?
My governing council consists of three members from each of the ruling houses, the council deliberates on how to move the community forward, they meet with me every Wednesday to deliberate the way forward on any pending issues and we proffer solutions most especially on how peace and tranquillity will reign supreme in the community.
The Agege Kingdom is prayerful, we’ve got mosques and churches and they are all for prayers.
While growing up what was your ambition?
Laughter, that is a very funny question, you reminded me of my youthful age, my ambition was to travel abroad and do great exploit in Europe, but I couldn’t travel out so I started work as an account clerk with the Lagos State government, I was able to head my department as a chief accountant before I retired in 2011, I ascended the throne of my forefathers shortly after I retired but I was given the staff of office on the 7th of March, 2012, since then I and my chief have ensured transparency within the Agege Kingdom.
How many ruling houses do we have in Agege?
We have three ruling families; Adepari Ogunji, Asunmoge Akinsosonyin and Ounifa Otapo which is where I emanated from, the last Oba came from the Asunmoge’s family while the previous one came from the Ogunji family, it has always been smooth power transition.
As a growing up in a royal home have you encountered life-threatening events?
I am from a royal home with eight branches what we call ‘Idi igi Mejo’ you should know that I must have encountered several plots; physically and spiritually before achieving success in my youthful years as a clerk and before becoming a crowned king on the throne of my forefathers, but it is only God, we give Him praises, I have been given chieftaincy titles in two different communities before I became king.
Is it possible for one to be chief elsewhere and still become King in another place?
If anyone tells you, ‘it is not possible to be a chief and become king’, it shows that their birth is not related to many royalty quarters.
What are the names of your two other chieftaincy titles?
I have been conferred the title of ‘Aare Onakakanfo’ in Ijire Kingdom, I was also given the title of ‘Osi Oba’ in Ojokoro Land by Oba Rilwan Oluwalambe Taiwo before I became The Olu of Agege.
When I was an internal auditor for Lagos State in 1998 one of my directors was calling me ‘Kabiyesi’, I never knew I was going to be the ‘Kabiyesi’ then, but unfortunately for him, he did not live long enough to witness my coronation as the Olu of Agege.
Around 2010 I was telling my colleagues to stop calling me ‘Kabiyesi’ but, one of them was bold enough to ask me why did I say they should stop calling me ‘Kabiyesi’ because, at that time, the majority of the staff don’t even know my real name again.
As Oba what are the challenges that stare you in the face that you think the governor of Lagos State can come to ameliorate?
What I want the government to checkmate is the havoc miscreants are causing within the community, if they are apprehended in a matter of few days you will see them swaggering around again within the locality threatening the populace.
The issue of security is the responsibility of the state government, if they arrest a criminal, he should be taken to a farm to work, seeing them around makes the people of the environment helpless.
All-in-all, we appreciate the government’s presence; it is superb.
Any message for Nigerians at large?
During the elections, Nigerians should shun thuggery and violence and vote for the right candidate.
