Lateef Bakare, an engineer, is a friend of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup. In this interview with TOBA ADEDEJI, he reminisces on their childhood and how he predicted that he will become a monarch.
What is your relationship with Imperial Majesty, Oba Haastrup?
My name is Lateef Ladipo Baruwa. I’m from Ilesa. My father’s side is in Ijamon, and my mother is from the royal family of Okesa. I am an engineer who specialises in Electrical and Control Systems.
There are four of us who grew up together. First is Kabiyesi, myself, Professor Awosika and Mr Ayo Arije. We all worked as young men at The National Bank, Marina branch and headquarters. We started coming to America and we all went to Howard University. Kabiyesi qualified as a Pharmacist, and late Arije qualified as a Pharmacist, in fact, the MD Ganenical Nigeria before he passed on. Professor Awosika started working for the Nigeria Institute of Oceanography while I stayed in the United States of America. I worked for about 10 years. Then, I came back to Nigeria to become a pioneer staff of the University of Ibadan, Faculty of Technology, Electrical Engineering Division. I was there from January 1983 to August 1984, when I was given a scholarship to do PhD in Power and Control Systems in George Washington University…
I have been all over, but Kabiyesi and I had been friends since we all left the National Bank, we lived, we all got married, he was my best man and I was his own best man.
Unfortunately, I lost my first wife in 2005. That turned me upside down, Kabiyesi and other friends advised me to come home because I married a white.
So, I came back to Nigeria. I formed a company, Y.E.P. International, and I worked with Kabiyesi in Abuja on Paradise Inn which was a development between his company and the Federal Government.
After a few years, I decided to relocate to Lagos because I got married again. So, we stayed in Lagos, and recently, I decided to come and spend more time with my grandchildren, kind of semi-retirement. I’ve worked in China, I’ve worked in France, I’ve worked in Amsterdam, from America here, building power plants all over. I’m a consultant here for a big, the largest utility company in America, Exelon. I am a consultant for them in automation instrumentation and power.
But Kabiyesi has been my friend for over 55 years. “We grew up together, and we are from the same town. When we were young at the bank, because he was from the royal family, I used to call him Oba. That’s his name. So when he became Oba, everybody started saying I must have been a soothsayer, how do I know? I said, well, he’s qualified, he’s into business and he kept all his tradition, Nigerian, unlike some of us who marry outside the culture. So, he’s rightfully doing what he’s supposed to be doing. I’m so grateful that God gave him the opportunity.
When he told me that he wanted to go in for the contest, I just told him to make sure you can do the best for Ijesa land, and give your legacy.
So we are praying for him and those of us in the Diaspora, there’s anything we can do to make him successful we are ready.
So, apparently since childhood, you know he will become king?
Yes. I called him Oba until he was made king now. I have been calling him that since we were working at the National Bank because the way he carried himself is like a king that I do call him. Despite being in America, he never went the way of America like some of us.
You would have shared pain and joy together. Can you just mention one of those moments?
Well, we shared so many joys and likewise many pains. When I lost my first wife in 2005, it was devastating for us because he was the best man at our wedding of the American girl. “We all met in college. Then about two years ago, I lost my son too. He was here with me. My son was 39. Those are the painful times together… When he lost his first wife too, I was devastated and he lost his oldest daughter who was almost born in my hand then. So, we’ve gone through tough times together, but God is always in control.
Then the moment of joy?
When he turned 60, I came back from America we celebrated his 60th birthday at Civic Centre. It was a fantastic time. And while we were here in America, there was a very popular Nigerian community whenever Sunny Ade comes here, he always refers to him as Oba. He royally carried himself.
From birth, he has been carrying himself in a royal way. He carried himself as a king, he picked up the tradition and that means a lot to him. He is a very astute businessman. I can bear witness.
Now, that he has become an Oba, would you still prostrate for him, since you used to be a friend?
Unfortunately, I have to do that publicly. I don’t have a choice. I coronated him when he was a teenager. We lived together and attended the same university. I never called him by his name.
Kabiyesi is over 70 years old now, but are you not worried that your prophecy on him that he will be king may not come to pass?
No. In my opinion, to become a king is based on accomplishment in my way of looking at it. Even though it’s nice to give the youth opportunity, I’m not a believer in that because…look at England, the Queen that died as a child growing it. And the reason was because it was their own traditional single family. But in Nigeria, there are two families, three families, and four families. So people take turns, but I am confident that he will be the king when it is his turn and I pray God grant him good health. That was my own belief.
Unfortunately, when Baba Aromolaran passed on, I said, are you not going to compete for the thrown and he gave me an uncertain response. I challenged him to go for it. So, basically, he came through and we thank God for him.
My greatest prayer and support for him is to just go there and do the best for the Ijesa people.
What are the things you think the world, especially the Ijesa people, should expect from Kabiyesi?
He’s forthright and committed. When he believes in a course, you can’t convince him otherwise. So, that commitment and steadfastness, I have faith in him for that, I just wish him good health and, a long life.
If he promises to do something, it’s very difficult for him to change. I will never say he will never change. But I saw him not pursuing what he was convinced about. For instance, when he went into politics, I was never into politics, 1983, 1984, when he competed to be a Senator of Ijesa/Ife, I was his campaign manager. I was teaching in UI. We were chased out of the polling booth. But he stayed there. He stayed focused and never gave up until he later became the deputy governor of the Late Serubawon. Later, he told me that he had left politics to face his business and he did. So once he is committed, you can take it to the bank.
People should keep faith in him and support him. I am sure that Ijesa will reclaim its glory, I can tell you, I am 74. I’m very comfortable that he will restore the glory of the Ijesa people, and we will do everything we can to support him here.
