Tag: Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III

Yesterday, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, turned 75 years. In this report, Fehintola Azeez chronicles the monarch’s life and times

On October 15, 1938, 75 years ago, a child was born to the royal family of the then Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeniran and Olori Ibironke Adeyemi 11 of Epo Gingin Compound, Oke-Afin, Oyo in the Southwestern part of the country. He was christened Abdul Lamidi Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi. Unlike some other of his peers, the little Adeyemi did not enjoy the tenderly and loving care of a mother, having lost her at an early age. As a child of a devout Muslim, he was enrolled at the Quranic School, Iseyin early and later at St. Andrews Primary School in Oyo for his primary education.

All these were as a result of the strong will of his father, Oba Adeniran, who, though, was not privileged to have had western education, was inspired by his contacts with the British that came to the old Oyo Empire. He vowed that his son would be educated. The little Adeyemi did not, however, complete his primary education in Oyo due to his relocation to Abeokuta to live with the then Alake of Egba, Oba Oladepo Ademola. His stay in Abeokuta was again to be truncated by the struggle against “tax without representation” led by the irrepressible woman activist, Chief Funmilayo Ransome Kuti between 1947 and 1948. The struggle forced the Egba monarch out of the throne to live in exile in Osogbo, the present Osun State capital.

Rather than going back to his father in Oyo, the young Adeyemi forged ahead, needless to say that he faced a lot of hardship to make the ends meet. In fact, he had to engage in menial jobs to survive. For his secondary education, he proceeded to St Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos, having come second in the entrance examination into the school. His experience in Lagos was not a rosy one as he also experienced hardship.But for his focus and determination, his education would have been derailed. He was exposed to the ugly side of life and had to live in some notorious areas of the city. He was, however, not overwhelmed by the situation as he graduated from the school with excellent grades which qualified him to study Law at the University of London. His London trip was facilitated by the late Owelle of Onitsha, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, who organised financial support for him through the manager of the then African Continental Bank (ACB), Yaba, Lagos, Mr. Nicoll. While the arrangement was being made, fate was waiting around the corner to play a cruel one. Exactly 48 hours to the scheduled date – February 16, 1960 – for the young Adeyemi to leave the shores of the country for England, his father, Oba Adeniran died; that was on February 14, 1960. That was how the beautiful plan of studying abroad was aborted for life.

Another phase in his life began, now as an orphan and a young adult with a job at the Royal Exchange Assurance, Marina, Lagos. He did not allow the situation to subdue him. Having majored in English Language, English Literature and History in his advanced examinations, which qualified him for the admission to study Law, he deployed his talent in writing and developing his skills. He became and remains a prolific writer. Today, Oba Adeyemi without the luxury of university education is in a class of his own academically, and it is very much in doubt if there is any professor that can shove him aside, especially in world history and the culture of Oyo Kingdom in particular and Yoruba nation in general. In fact, he is a reference point on the subjects.

Today, there are so many articles to his credit, too numerous to mention and Oba Adeyemi has delivered many papers as guest speaker by professional bodies and groups alike. But of great importance and significance were two of such articles written as far back as 1968, which are today fulfilled prophecies. The first was “I shall be great” and the second “I shall be the next Alaafin”. Barely a week after the second one was written, the young Adeyemi was chosen as the Alaafin-elect by six of the seven Oyo-Mesi in March, 1968 and that marked the beginning of the tortuous journey to the exalted Alaafin throne. To say that Oba Adeyemi, today, is a great king is an understatement. Just as his growing up was tough, so also was his ascendancy to the throne as the then government of the day was not well disposed to his emergence, alleging that the procedure was not right and refused to endorse his appointment. The selection exercise was repeated three times and, despite the pressures  mounted on the Oyo-Mesi to capitulate, they remained unyielding and unbending as they came up with the same result. Rather than endorsing Oba Adeyemi’s appointment, the government, under the cloak of the then ongoing civil war, halted the whole process. Though the process was reopened again after the civil war in 1970, but, it was a new beginning. However, like an adage says, “if you toss a hand fan for 200 times, it will always lay flat, the Oyo-Mesi still came up with the same result with him winning in the selection process as announced on November 18, 1970. The government eventually approved and gazetted his appointment in December, 1970. Thus, it was a well-groomed and sufficiently equipped prince that took the position of his father at the age of 32 as Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111.The young Adeyemi did not leave anybody in doubt about his mission and vision as a leader, who would give his people the kind of leadership that has so far become unparalleled in the history of the ancient Oyo Town.

To a school of thought, which sees Alaafin Adeyemi 111 as a workaholic, energetic, diligent, courageous, irrepressible and a man of consequence, his tough background, despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth,, undoubtedly, prepared him for the task ahead, despite the unfolding challenges. Against the backdrop of the hardship he faced while growing up, Oba Adeyemi became a man of many parts and one of such is he is kind and compassionate and a philanthropist, using what God has endowed him with to touch the lives of the people. Oba Adeyemi has taken traditional headship to another level, using his exposure, wealth and power to benefit mankind. The family of the late Sam Ojebode will forever be grateful for what Kabiyesi did for the members. The Oyo Town-born great footballer’s dream of owning a house in his ancestral home remained a pipe-dream until he breathed his last sometimes last year. But, today, the late footballer has a befitting building to his name, built and furnished to taste by Iku-Baba-Yeye. Alaafin has displayed a great deal of ingenuity in bringing touches of modernity to the ancient Oyo Palace without losing its traditional essence, a development that has turned the place to a tourist centre. This touch is not only about the infrastructure and architectural design of the palace, but also about the individuals that have statutory and traditional functions in the palace. For instance, the ‘Oyo-Mesi’, Alaafin’s cabinet members, and the Oyo kingmakers now individually cruise in personal cars as against the practice in the past, when all of them would cramp in one rickety bus, while accompanying the monarch on a function.

Talking in September 1984, he said: “A traditional ruler should be seen as the perfect embodiment of the culture of the place, as well as the synthesis of the aspirations and goals of the nation. This is not only in social values of veracity, egalitarianism, justica and democracy; but in dress, utterances and comportment; even the mere necessary trivicalities [sic] that mark Nigeria and the locality as a distinctive entity”.

To preserve the culture and tradition of his people as well as giving it international outlook Alaafin Adeyemi appointed a Cultural Ambassador, Dr. Paula Gomes, a Portuguese, about two years ago, who has been engaged in a great deal of research and organised educative lectures to showcase the beauty of Yoruba culture and tradition and the need to value, embrace and preserve it.

It is to the credit of Oba Adeyemi that a great number of his colleague Obas across Yorubaland today are what they are in status, having used his position as a highly revered monarch, his robust sense of history, powerful writing skills and consideration for fellow human beings to advance their causes. Obas are statutorily not in active politics, but, a politician can only ignore him at his own peril. He, however, does this with great caution, relying heavily on the will and wishes of his subjects. In politics also, he is concerned about the sanctity of his position whatever happens and the welfare of his people. Thus, to secure his support, a politician must convince him of offering his exalted position the highest degree of dignity, respect and honour it deserves as well as the care of his people through the usual dividends of democracy.

In 1979, the Federal Government honoured Oba Adeyemi with the national honour of CFR and a year later, the was appointed the pioneer Chancellor of the then newly established Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, a position he held for a record time of 12 years of three terms, a feat that remains unmatched till date in the country’s university headship system. A complete family man, the monarch loves sports a great deal and trains as a boxer till date. These immortal words of Alexander Graham Bell – “The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion… It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider – and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation -persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree” – sum up the life voyage in the last 75 years of our indefatigable monarch, an enigma with an unequalled passion for the great good of all.

Happy birthday, Kabiyesi, igba odun, odun kan!

•Azeez is Media Aide to Oba Adeyemi