The Oloto of Otto and paramount ruler of Mainland and its environs, Lagos State, Oba Bashir Abisoye Odesanya, is marking his first year anniversary on the throne this week. He speaks with EMMANUEL OLADESU AND TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO on the history of the kingdom, his civil service and political life and journey to succeed his father after the stool was vacant for seven years.
Kabiyesi, you are one year on the throne of your fathers. What are your reflections?
I thank God for preserving my life and making the throne an easy place for me. I also thank Him for making me the representative of Oloto dynasty.
I also thank my political godfather, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for being for me since the beginning. He promised me that I will succeed my father and God gave him the opportunity to fulfill it. The throne remained vacant for seven years after my father’s demise since 2016,
The first year anniversary is not an easy journey for an Oba. I thank God for making our plans come to reality.
What’s importance of your kingdom to the history of Lagos?
The kingdom is a historical kingdom. Oloto has been in existence since 15th century. About 800 years ago. It is an Awori settlement. You can’t talk about Oloto without mentioning the father of Awori, who was Ogunfunminire. He migrated from Ile Ife. He had many children. Pawu, one of his children, succeeded him. Olofin is a chieftaincy title. Ogunfunminire is the name. After the demise of Ogunfunminire, Pawu attained the title of Olofin. That was how Olofin became popular. All children of Ogunfunminire are called Idejos. History said Ogunfunminire passed many villages before settling at Otto. All the territories he passed through, including Isheri-Olofin and Isheri-Mole and all territories controlled by Awori are under Otto. He married at various settlements, had children before eventually settled down at Otto.
There was a tussle between Otto and Binis Kingdom. Benin people were warriors and used their affluence and power to conquered territories. They couldn’t conquer Olofin at first instance but later used his (Olofin’s) wife to conquer him because she revealed his secret to them. They took him to Bini and this led to many calamities in Bini. The Bini’s oracle told them to release him. He was released and celebrated back to Otto because he gave them that as a condition for returning to Otto.
When he came back, he met the British who were into slave trading. Olofin was a farmer and hunter. He refused to join the British in the trade. Olofin was a king but the British refused to recognise him as king. So, they referred to him as Chief Olofin. To cut the story short, the British recognize the Benin people here because they were into business together; they now recognized that one as administrative leader so they gave him the staff of office. So, that’s how the Eleko, Olowoeko, they call them Olowoeko because they are business merchants; so they call them Olowoeko not Eleko. Eleko is Aromire, one of the Olofin’s children, Idejo, is Aromire. Aromire is the owner of Eko and the custodian authority of Lagos Island. While the Olowoeko is just administrative Oba, so British recognise him because of that because they were doing business together. that was how they got to recognise him, it’s not as if they are superior to Oloto because the fist Oloto was Pawu and it was 1592. He reigned between 1592 and 1628. Many came after Pawu, like Kumeru, Akinjufe, Balo, Esugbaye, Akilolu, Ifagbayi, many reigned and in between there was interregnum. So the reign of Oloto was very long in 15th century and he has vast land. From Iddo Island down to Ilo in Ogun state.
Those areas you mentioned have Obas. How did they evolve from Otto?
In those days, Oloto used to give Baales in those lands. He would put Baale there as his representative; they did pay the homage to Oloto by bringing Isakole (royalties). As time goes on with government backing, they begin to change the narrative and lobbied to become monarchs.
We need to tell our history by letting the people know that this is the origin of the Oloto traditional setting. Up till tomorrow, the documents have it that all those places we mentioned is still owned by Oloto because there’s document and there’s survey plan that cover those places.
The big history of Otto you have relayed does not justify the road infrastructural facilities we have in Otto, what is responsible? Why is the area especially the cradle here not as developed as those areas that evolved from Otto?
Like I said before, our forefathers that reigned did not engage economically with Britain. That kind of blood still runs in our veins; my forefathers were not after the wealth. If they were, this place wouldn’t have been like this. They are so much contended to the extent that whatever they have and they don’t bow before anybody because they know their worth. They know that they are king. All those other communities come to pay homage to them so they don’t look for affluence or materialistic life. They were contended with what they have but this generation will not let it remain like that, that is why we are putting all these things together. That is why we are calling on our government to come in and develop our environment, our territory. For me, I know what it takes to have development at your corridor so I know we cannot continue like this because this is an ancient community that has history so we should bring development because it’s at the center. We need development here because this place is located at the centre. It is connected to so many places within the Lagos metropolis. We are going to seek for government’s intervention to develop our community.
In specific terms, what are the social amenities you urgently require in this your old town?
We need road infrastructure that will connect to other parts of the state like Costain, Apapa road, Surulere, Lagos Island.
We need standard secondary school; we only have one primary school which is not enough. We need standard hospital, companies and banks. We need social amenities as a whole in our community. Let the government open up this area with good roads and everything would fall in place.
How do you relate with other Obas who are members of Ogunfunminire clan?
I relate well with those in Isheri Olofin and all the Idejos – Aromire, Onitalo, Oluwa, Onisuuru, Ojora, Elegushi, we are many. There are about 11; we have a cordial relationship because we are of the same descendants.
On Oloto land presently, Igbobi-Sabe at Fadeyi is the place given to Efunroye Tinubu by Balo Oriagbaya, then in 1776. Madam Efunroye Tinubu was into slave trade business. She was a friend to the then Oloto. You know where there is an inter-relationship between woman and a man, anything can come up, so Efunroye Tinubu was coming with her slaves, looking for a space to keep her slaves and she was friend to the then Oloto. Oloto gave her Igbobi to keep her slaves. It was called Igbo Orodun then.
They did not issue any conveyance so those place is still own by Oloto. Oloto still remains the paramount ruler of the mainland. The same thing with Oworonsoki, Surulere and others. Government as politicians, these Baales walked up to them to make them Obas.
You want government to build hospital, schools. Where is the land?
When it’s time, the land will surely surface because we have shanties. Those shanties are not good for our community because it encourages criminality. They can easily attract criminality; attract the evil things. Government need to come to our area to get rid of those shanties and it is even a security threat to the government itself so government needs to come to clear all those shanties so that those places will now be useful for our development.
Before we go to other political questions, what are the activities you have outlined for the first year coronation anniversary?
It is going to run for seven or eight days at stretch. One of our plans is to have a medical outreach and skill acquisition programme, cultural activities, traditional cultural display and then we go to the mosque and the church, those are the activities that we have in plan.
Do you support the idea that traditional rulers should be given constitutional role in government?
You see, I may be a little bit differ from that. Reason, if traditional rulers have a constitutional role to play, the traditional ruler might be messing up at the end of the day, government might ridicule the position of traditional rulers. If for example now, they gave a responsibility to one particular king to be the one in charge of security outfit or in charge of power generation and he mismanaged the place, are they going to query the traditional ruler to come and give account? So, in a nutshell, the position is going to be ridiculed. Let the traditional rulers remain the traditional rulers, let the traditional ruler be the father of all as it used to be; let the traditional ruler be the one communicating with deities, be the one that pacifies the gods of the land and be the one in charge of making sacrifice that will bring the peace and harmony to the entire nation. They are the ones consulting gods and making sacrifice for peace and harmony to reign. Due to politics, government has bastardised the institution which is not good for the Yoruba and even the African race.
As Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu begins his second term, what’s your advice to the government?
Our amiable governor is performing very well. My advice for him is to do more, now that Lagosians have given him second term mandate. I pray that God will give him strength, wisdom to be able to deliver the dividends of democracy to Lagosians. He has been trying but we want him to try more. Look at the transportation system, the introduction of blue rails will ease the traffic and make the Lagosians have a smooth ride. He has constructed many roads and gave a new lease of life to Apapa.
I implore him to do more, he has been doing the best but he can do more so that our party will have a pleasant passage when it comes to next election.
What’s your advice to president Bola Tinubu, especially at this challenging time?
President Bola Tinubu is a man with vision and mission; He’s the best man good to rule this country at this challenging period because of his past records. President Tinubu is going to take us to the promise land. Look at the series of policies. The removal of fuel subsidy was in the right direction.
Subsidy is an avenue for the looters to take away crude oil and our resources, which is affecting our economy. The best way is to remove it; he has added N35,000 to the civil servants’ salaries among other gestures to cushion the effects of subsidy removal.
I heard that Port Harcourt refinery is being renovated. Once that one begins to refine our crude oil, coupled with the Warri, Kaduna and Lagos refineries, gradually, we will have surplus of fuel and the price of fuel will now be normalised.
I will advise Nigerians to be patient with this government; this government knows where they are taking us to – the promise land. Tinubu is not after Nigeria money, he is coming to the government to help, use his experience to fix the economy and Nigeria problem, so let Nigerians be patient with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Let us have an insight into your background, education, and some of the things you’ve gone through before you became a monarch.
My father was a king. During the reign of my father, he did not train me with silver spoon. My father sent me to school. I am a graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). When I finished my university, I had intention of traveling out of the country. You know, mentality of a young guy – to travel out to hustle and do something but my father declined. He refused me to travel out of the country. In fact during my NYSC, I saved money to obtain my first passport. I brought the passport home, showed it to my father that I want to travel out of the country. The question my father asked me was, who do you know in that place? And what do you intend to go and do?
He helped got employed as a civil servant in Alausa after discussing with the governor, then, now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Tinubu told my father to allow me work with him but my father said, no. I want my son to have working experience; he didn’t want his son to be exposed to wealth.
He gave me a job in Alausa as civil servant. So my first salary was 15,000. How am I going to survive? It cannot take care of me not to talk of marrying with this kind of amount. But my father didn’t listen to me. So, he will always give me transport to augment my meagre salary. He didn’t allow me to take any of his cars to office. He gave me transport money to go with public bus. People did not recognize me that I am the Aremo. I am the first son of my father. People did not see me as a prince because I did not live the life of a prince. I didn’t have a car, I did not have anything. I did not live the life of a prince throughout my life.
So, it got to a point I was disturbing my father. I can’t continue with this that he should let me go abroad.
He said no. I absconded. I left the work. I left without informing him. So, he was angry with me. Because of my name, Oloto, the ministry refused to sack me.
They sent representative from ministry to trace my address to Oto and appealed to me that I should write the resignation letter so that they will not dismiss me even if at all I am not interested in the job. I did not listen to them. So, they left. So, my father used his position again to return me to the civil service. Later on, my father took to Asiwaju Tinubu again when I told him that I want to run for assembly. He allowed me to work for him as his Personal Assistance because I did not have any political experience. Years later, he told me to pick a form for House of Assembly. That was how I joined politics as a lawmaker.
President Tinubu is my father. Yes, in everything. So, he promised me that I will succeed my father and here I am.
