Talk of simplicity, communality and royalty combined and you may just have captured Oba Shefiu Olatunji Adewale, the Olu Epe of Epe Kingdom’s person in three simple words. But make no mistake, he does not suffer fools gladly and would not be drawn into unnecessary controversy, even as he hosts Gboyega Alaka in an exclusive interview session to mark his 10th coronation anniversary and 82nd birthday celebration.
You have been king for ten years. How does that make you feel?I feel very happy and accomplished. Even when I was crowned, the situation was not new to me -because I’d been in the process, assisting the obas before me. Also, I believe no one knows tomorrow; so my message to everybody is to spend their today well. When I was with the past obas, Oba Baba M.D. Kazeem and Oba Balogun Agbaje, I did my best to support them, even though I never had the intention of becoming oba.
You were Otun-Balogun, then Balogun, before you became Oba. Would that mean that Oba-ship in Epe is by promotion?
Yes, we have six wards in Epe and Olu Epe rotates within them in order that there is peace. The beauty of Epe is that wherever you are in the six wards, at one time or the other, the topmost chieftaincy title can come to you. When an oba demises, every member of the chieftaincy will move forward. The ward where the oba departed will now have the least position, until it goes round. The six wards are Isale Agoro, where we are now; Oke Balogun, Bado ‘Sale, Bado Oke, Popo Oba, Oke Oba, Lagbade, Oke Posun.
The perception out there is that Epe has two title obas: one for Eko Epe and the other for the Ijebu; can you shed some light on this?
It is true that we have two obas; the other is the Oloja, who has his own hierarchy. And then of course, there is the Olu-Epe, which is myself. Notably, there is peace between us. There was never a time that I moved to his territory or that he came to my own territory.
Tell us a bit of the history of Eko-Epe.
Our fore-fathers were formally in (Eko) Lagos. Princes Akintoye and Kosoko who were from the same ruling house in Lagos were fighting for the vacant title. Kosoko used to be on the stronger side, but Akintoye went to strengthen his chance by colluding with the British. Then Kosoko, knowing that the British were capable of anything, took the decision to leave Lagos for Epe for peace to reign. History tells us that the people that came with Kosoko on that trip were 1500 people. They and their descendants were the ones who formed the Eko Epe community that we know today.
Were they received by the people they met on ground?
Fortunately or unfortunately, they met no opposition on ground. In actually fact, Epe was being ruled by the Awujale at the time, but he gave Kosoko a letter to come and settle in Epe. He told Kosoko that the people that were here before had been sent away because they were not paying the yearly Isakole. So Kosoko met empty Epe when he came, even though their houses were still here. Now people usually ask me that going by this short history, who can really claim Epe? But as far as I am concerned, individuals can draw their conclusion. I won’t decide for anybody. All I know is that Kosoko was given a letter by the overlord to settle here. The Awujale granted us refuge with a document of autonomy to permanently occupy the land without any strings attached. We never paid Isakole or any form of taxes and he never dabbled into our affairs.
If the Eko migrants didn’t meet anyone on ground, how come we now have two crowns in Epe?
I said people were here, but by the time King Kosoko was coming, they had offended the overlord and he had sent them away. So it was Kosoko who brought them back by appeasing and settling the problem between them and the Awujale.
Have there been any supremacy tussle between the two Epe communities – whether overtly or tacitly?
I don’t know. All I know is that King Kosoko brought Eko Epe to Epe; and we are talking of 1851. Will you categorise a person who has been in a place for such a long time, stranger? In any case, if you say I’m Ijebu Epe, it’s left to you; if you say I’m Eko Epe, fine. But I have an Ijebu blood in me. And that is how it is with so many of us. Hardly can you see a household where you won’t see the two – courtesy of intermarriage. So for anybody to be talking of stranger or stuffs like that, you need to take another look at such person. Possibly, he is an illiterate, who does not know his right from his left.
Do the Eko Epe and Ijebu-Epe landscapes interweave?
Well, hardly can you see the difference. Where you can call Epe is being occupied my community. You have Isale Agoro, Oke Balogun, Oke Posun, Lagbade, Popo Oba, Oke Oba. That is where Epe used to be. You can have mixed something in one or two of those places I have mentioned. Don’t let us go into politics.
Did Kosoko at any point in time return to Lagos to claim the throne?
No, he didn’t go back to claim the throne. The rift was settled and the coast became clear for him to go back. Of course they still accorded him that title of a prince. Some of those that came with him also went back with him.
What’s the official dialect? The popular impression out there is that Epe is an Ijebu enclave. Is it Ijebu that is spoken in Epe or Eko Yoruba?
The Eko people came from Lagos, so the tone or dialect of Lagos is what is still being spoken among them. Ijebu is the dialect of the other community.
Will it be safe to say that the Eko-Epe settlers are originally Awori and or Edo, because Eko, as history tells us, was originally peopled by Awori, and the Edo people who came in by conquest?
I don’t want to be dragged into such. All I can say is that most of the people that came with King Kosoko from Lagos were Muslims. The Muslim group came with him in solidarity because he was their president. That is why Epe is 95 percent Muslim.
What would be the most memorable things that have come to Epe since you became Oba?
There have been lots of development and progress since I became king. In terms of politics, we are nearer to the seat of government, to the extent that we even got the governorship slot, which is the topmost government position. There was also improvement in road construction, although it didn’t get to the extent that we wanted because of the disruption in the political set up.
We have seen the development within the town; but the roads leading to Epe from Ibeju and Ikorodu end, are not in good shape.
The intention of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who is from this area, was to take the road to Ikorodu, but because of the termination of his regime, the road has remained where he left it. The present governor has not done anything on road in Epe at all. If you go to the upper side – the government area, there is a road that is being done to connect the marina, but it has remained as Ambode left it. The situation is the same with several other roads. So if you ask me, I’d say infrastructure-wise, Epe is suffering.
While I will not like to drag you into politics, would you say that Epe got a fair share of government attention with the coming of Ambode as governor?
Well, before Ambode, what Epe got were just promises. It was he who translated them into action. And since his going away, we have not seen anything.
Have you reached out to the present governor?
The governor cannot deny knowing how Epe is, because he came to Epe when Ambode left; and he promised to continue the ongoing projects Ambode initiated. But as we speak, nothing is happening.
What would you like to see happen in Epe as we speak?
Firstly, I want to thank the government for the little they have been able to do. But the remaining ones, especially the internal roads, still need to be attended to. For instance, Audu Road that passes through my palace is expected to get to the government area up there. The plan has been on since I was a kid in primary school, but up till now, it has not come to fruition. I want it done. There is this other road from Araromi Road to the Marina. It ought to have been done but it is not done. That is the road that passes the house of the late Olu Epe, Oba Balogun Agbaje. It is a very long road. It even passes through Late Chief S. L. Edu’s house, and can make the traffic simple and easy. I don’t know why the state government is feeling shy of coming to Epe infrastructure-wise. Also, the road which Ambode started, that goes to Oke Osho Area, which ought to get to the link road that comes to Ijebu Ode through to Ikorodu is still as Ambode left it. I’m appealing to the government to do it. Ibeju to Epe is the same thing. That was how Ambode left it. I am appealing to the governor not to forget his promise to complete those two roads. And if you decide to go through Ijebu-Ode, you discover that the road is very impassable once you get to Mojoda area. All these have been hampering development. So I’d say, let’s start with the roads to make things easy for the people.
What would you say are the economic mainstay of Epe?
Fishing and farming are our mainstays. We have a lot of fertile farmlands. We have the Agric area performing to expectation. I believe it will not be a bad idea if they moved the headquarters of the Ministry of Agric to Epe, because they will be able to give it the proper attention and expansion it deserves. Presently, this potential is underused.
True, Epe is known for fishing; but has there been any government or individual effort to turn the business into a large scale exportable business?
Fishing is supposed to be the second business of Epe people, but this has been on personal basis. Government has not done anything tangible in that regard, whereas it can be a very lucrative vocation. If you go through Ejirin, you will get to Langbasa. There, is a very large area of water before you get to Langbasa; and if you go through this other area, you get to Agan, another large water area, where people can engage in fishing. So I’m again appealing to the government to really look into this. The same appeal goes to transportation. When I was young, individuals usually had ship taking people to Lagos from here, but now we don’t have anything like that. I am appealing to the state government to extend the ongoing water transportation network to Epe. From here to Lagos shouldn’t take more than one and a half hours, which is not bad. If that is done, many can even reside here and work in Lagos.
We already established that oba-ship in Epe is done by promotion and rotational; would that mean that you faced no competition before ascending the throne?
Like I said, the chieftaincy titles are spread among the six wards. Presently, we have the topmost title, as well as Otun Sarunmi, which is third to the last title in Isale Agoro. While in Oke Balogun, they have the Seriki. If you add that in Oke Balogun with the two in Isale Agoro, that will be three. Oke Balogun and Isale Agoro are one ward group. So there is a successive plan which leaves no room for unnecessary struggle. But some people, who can be funny, may still come out to try to foment commotion, which was what happened during my time. But because everybody is aware that Balogun becomes Olu Epe when he demises, it was clear that anybody who comes out of the blues to face the Balogun would only be wasting his time.
The world already knows of the Otedolas; can you name some other Epe notables?
Aside the Otedolas, we have Adebowale, who owned Adebowale Electronics. We have the man who owns Onward Stationery, Chief Obafemi Obagun; and many more that I may not remember now. But we pray that more of our sons and daughters prosper.
Do Eko Epe people still have links with Lagos Island and the throne? Can a Kosoko descendant in Epe still contest for the throne in Eko?
Epe is already autonomous with its own structure, so we don’t contest any chieftaincy in Eko. Of course we still have the Kosoko family in Lagos. Those in Lagos take care of Lagos affairs while those in Epe take care of Epe.
You rose to the position of a director as a civil servant with Lagos State, which ministry would that be?
I practically worked in all the ministries because of the posting system. As an administrative officer, the administration is one and whichever ministry you’re posted, you can fit in. I was also posted as Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government during the military era. All these experiences put me good stead for administration of Epe. I also discovered that the Badagry situation, where we have Awori and Egun people co-existing peacefully, is not much different from that of Epe with its Ijebu and Eko Epe people.
Tell us about your childhood.
I grew up as a normal person. Fortunately, my dad lived in Ibadan and that was where I started my life. Ijebu-Ode too; I was born in Ijebu-Ode General Hospital. I didn’t even know that Ijebu Ode had been exposed to such modernity for such a long time.
You never really spent your childhood in Epe?
Wherever I was, I still always came to Epe. I had my peers in Epe. But we came finally to Epe when I was in standard four when my grandfather died and my father had to come home to see to the supervision of the house. I attended NA (Native Authority) School in Epe to finish my Standard Six. The father of the present deputy governor of Lagos State, Hamzat, was my classmate. The school is now LA (Local Authority) School. Thereafter, I went to Ahmaddiya Grammar School, Ibadan and then University of Ife, where I read English/History. We used to say it was the only university in Nigeria (smiles).
Do you have street urchins otherwise known as Area Boys in Epe and how do you manage them?
They exist, though very minimal because there are usually checks on them and their time is always occupied. During my own growing up, you had to go to Arabic School right after the early morning Subui prayer before proceeding to the main school. So by the time you finish all these and also go to quranic school in the afternoon, you had very minimal time to be rascally.
What message do you have for the youth?
They should always be reasonable and face their studies, because only God knows what they will become in the future. But if they waste their youth, this can prevent them from attaining their full potentials.
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