Chief Bayo Oyero, National President, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), the body championing the clamour for the creation of Ibadan State spoke with BISI OLADELE, on the motivation for the agitation as well as the appetite for beaded crown by some Baales of less cities in Ibadan land.
Many Ibadan indigenes have been clamouring for the creation of Ibadan State in recent years. Now that a national conference is being planned, what is likely going to be agitation of the Ibadan people at the conference?
Our number one demand should be the creation of Ibadan state. Of course, we thought that we were really robbed of our right to have a state. Our demand is not a frivolous one. It is just that we have not been having the political support to examine the population of Ibadan land.
Towards 2006 census, they said there were a million houses in Ibadan. They said one quarter of that was unoccupied. So, even if we accept that figure, that means that over 750, 000 houses were occupied. And they ended up with a population of 2.5 million for Ibadan.
In actual fact, when you get to some houses, you will find out that they have more than four people in a room. They are now saying that the average occupancy rate is three. The population of Ibadan cannot be less than 10 million.
Even with the current population of 2.5 million, it is still bigger than that of eight states. The population of Kwara, Bayelsa, Taraba etc combined are not up to ours. We are comparable to another three or four existing states.
In terms of our population, it is a productive population in terms of per capita income. As at today, 80 per cent of the Oyo State internally generated revenue comes from Ibadan. We are economically viable and we have an administrative structure that will be useful for us in our first year of being a state. It is not like in other places where they will start by renting apartments for administrative purposes. We have been the capital of western Region, Western State, old Oyo State and the present Oyo State. I make bold to say that Ibadan State should be first if states are to be created based on viability.
Do you mean state creation in the Southwest?
Not only in the Southwest but in Nigeria.
Following our meeting with the senate committee on the amendment of the constitution, we submitted about five requests from the South West. And if things should go the normal way, we are sure that Ibadan State will be created. Whenever the National Assembly is ready, we are ready. We are still on it.
It is going to be one of our demands at the conference. Don’t forget it is not just the question of demands, requests and so on the conference is about gathering opinions, issues that are going to be used in advising the president. It is more of agenda setting, what should they discuss, their focus, how the committee should be constituted etc. That is what the Okurounmu committee did. We submitted our own little opinion on how the conference should be constituted; things that will strengthen the existence of Nigeria as a country. We have been running away from confederal system. We have to go back to proper federal system for Nigeria to know peace. Even in a family, every child will not grow as the same pace. You cannot run a country like a personal business.
Ethnically and linguistically, we are homogenous in the Southwest but even when you come to the units there are still variations. So, what Oyo state is doing may not necessarily interest Osun but Osun should be free to do what it feels will benefits its people. We are copying the American style. We have big states like Texas and small ones that are as ten times smaller in number to the bigger ones. Each one will go at its pace. Each has its own laws. In some states, gambling is prohibited while it is legalized in others. So, that is the beauty of federalism; let everyone grow at its own pace.
They also talk of fiscal federalism. A situation where the Federal Government takes over 50 per cent of the federally collected revenue is not right. Given the amount of responsibility the Federal Government carries, that percentage is justified. But the question is; should the Federal Government carry such responsibility? In the First Republic, states established universities but the Federal Government under the military took over all the state universities. States are now re establishing universities. Before the Federal Government took over universities, they were catered for by their owner states. Now we have many universities, students and all sorts and we are still agitating for more. The Federal Government now has a university in each state. Primary education is in serious problem and that affects the equality. The products of these primary schools now proceed to the secondary school half-baked. These products of secondary school also enter university semi-baked. What is the quality of the products universities are also churning out? That is why we should sit down and discuss ways by which we can have proper federal structure which, of course means redistributing the functions being carried out by the three tiers of government.
A few years ago, some Ibadan chiefs aspired to wear beaded crown but this was kicked against. Considering the size and population of Ibadan that you spoke about, should the people not have more than one representative in the state Council of Obas and Chiefs?
Ibadan has more than one. We have the Olubadan, the Otun Olubadan, Balogun and few other High Chiefs in the state Council.
Why will Ibadan not allow some community chiefs to wear beaded crown?
It is because of the history of Ibadan. Our chieftaincy hierarchy is different from any other one in Yoruba land. We have the Olubadan at the apex. Under it, we have the High Chiefs. Under it we have senior chiefs and chiefs. The last down the line is the Mogaji and the lowest of the rung is the Baale.
In our system, it is the Mogaji that is the head of the family in the city. And Mogaji is a qualified title. Until recently, we did not call a Mogaji a chief. He’s just the head of his household, his extended family but he is qualified to contest for the city chieftaincy (title) which is the two lines of the Olubadan and Balogun. So it is the Mogaji who is the head of the family in the city that nominates the Baale to head their village. So Baale is junior to Mogaji. Mogaji is junior to Jagun and other chiefs. It is the Olubadan-in-Council that appoints the rest of them. Apart from the Olubadan, all the High Chiefs don’t wear crown.
So, that is our own tradition but we can move with the time. About 35 years ago, Moniya was less than one quarter of its size now. It has assumed a city status, metropolitan status and so many of our towns and villages. The elders, the elites in Ibadanland feel concerned but what we were saying during the last regime was that, the government cannot bastardise our system. You as a governor or government, you don’t have the authority to change our tradition without us. If we are going to reform, the reform should be initiated by us; it’s not for you. And even in the Chiefs’ law, to wear a beaded crown or a coronet, you have to apply to the paramount ruler in the area. So, anybody within Ibadanland has to apply to Olubadan-in-Council. When it is approved, the approval will be communicated to state council of Obas after which it goes to the governor for final approval before the chief can wear a coronet or a beaded crown. So even if the governor, with impunity, gives the crown to those people without the approval of the Olubadan-in-Council, it would be a nullity. All these things are dynamic. A change is possible but it has to evolve from the people.
The process has started already. It will require sensitisation. Like I said, we are going to give crown to the lowest rung in the chieftaincy hierarchy. Those in between, what do you do with them? It requires sensitization. So there’s a lot of underground work to do.
So, in the future, people should not be surprised if it happens?
They should not.
