SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 2, 2015, PAGE 43
We are the Jews of the Yoruba race – Oba Oyelude, Olowu of Owu-Kuta *Says his kingdom was the first in S-West *’Any royal father with one wife is not worth his salt’ Oba Hammed Adekunle Makanma Oyelude, the Olowu of Owu-Kuta in Aiyedire Local Government of Osun State and Chairman, Supreme Council of all Owu Obas in Nigeria and in the diaspora, recently celebrated his three years on the throne. A political associate of the former Nigeria military president, Ibrahim Babangida, the Olowu, in this interview, says there were 37 Owu communities scattered in different parts of the country including the East.
BY GBENGA OLARINOYE
Since your ascension to the throne there years ago, can you share with us the journey so far?
Three years down the lane as the Olowu Kuta, all glory to God Almighty.I have been having it easy. With the help of God, my friends and teeming supporters, I have been having a smooth sail through. Can you share the story of your ascension to the throne? grew up in the North, Maiduguri, Zaria. We have four ruling houses and where I come from is the most senior. When I was younger, like other princes, I was aspiring that one day, I would become the king but I never knew it would come this early.Destiny thrust this post on me when I was hoping that my boss, General Babangida, would get me a federal appointment. It is like God gave me life time appointment contrary to what I envisaged. That made Babangida to write when I was made king.When the late monarch passed over, our ruling house was next to fill the stool and our leaders called for nominations.80% nominated me and 20% wanted another person. Those that that were not even eligible from other ruling houses also contested. Because of my closeness to Gen. Babangida, I was branded a PDP man. They said I would kill ACN if I clinched the crown. But I told them I was not a card-carrying member of the PDP but that I am an IBB. Man. Governor Aregbesola refused to be swayed and that marked the beginning of our relationship. Our people are today happy and I have been enjoying their support since I became king. My boss’s (Babangida) support was very crucial to my ascending the throne. As a cosmopolitan person, now having to reside in a settlement like this, how are you coping? I look at my kingdom as a small London. What I miss having to live among people is being shored up by the influx of people here. Friends like you and my subjects are always around me. The way I relate is also helping me have people around me. I delegate responsibilities and not authority. I go and come back when it is time to return home. But I must admit the two are not the same-life here in my little London and outside this place. Is there any relationship between your own Kuta and Kuta in Kogi State? No, or may be I have stumble on the history. People in Kuta in Kogi must be Nupe by tribe. But our own Kuta is an Owu settlement. We have been here since 1425. We have heard many things as being responsible for the disintegration of
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Owu Kingdom. Can you share some of those things that led to the disintegration of that kingdom? We have 37 Owu communities in Nigeria and about six in diaspora. Orile Owu or you call it Owu Ipole is the ancestral home of all Owus. It is the headquarters. My progenitor migrated from Orile Owu around 1425 and settled here.Some of his brothers joined him here too. But the disintegration occurred in 1420. Oyo, Ife and Ijebu joined hands to fight Olowu. Check history, Owu was the first kingdom in Yorubaland. Check Johnson and Johnson and other archival documents. But my forefathers lost that empire to Alaafin because of impatience, high handedness. As you are aware, Owu was the first empire formed by Oduduwa. That iswhy in Yoruba land, the people say, “Owu la koda”. After the disintegration of Owu, some people joined us in Kuta while some moved to Erunmu.That is where the likes of Oyelese, a former minister, hail from. Oyelese is an Owu man. One of the late Olubadans, Olugbode, was also an Owu Kuta man. This was because some of our people moved to Ibadan in Olugbode compound, some moved to Ijebu, some to Abeokuta, some to Epe. But during the life time of the late Balogun of Owu, Akin Olugbade, he suggested that all Owus should come together. That was over 20 years ago and we formed the Royal Union of Owu People. Since then, we gather annually to deliberate. Last year , I hosted them, this year I am hosting them also for two days. During the meeting, we deliberate on issues that concern us a group of people.We are the Jews of the Yoruba race. We have Owu-Obaloyin in Kwara and Owu-Isin.Aregbesola (Osun State governor) was even telling me recently that he and a professor have discovered some Owus in the East. We are making efforts to meet these people. As the Chairman of the Contact Committee for the annual meeting of Owu people....? No, I am the Chairman, Supreme Council of Owu Obas. I have a not too large community but I am senior in the hierarchy of Owu Obas. Specifically, what are your roles? My roles include but not limited to uniting and to harness and formulate policies and identify directions we should go as a group of people. To God be the glory, I have been playing my roles very well. All Owu Obas meet and that is part of the efforts to forge common cause and unite our people. What was the cause of the crisis that disintegrated Owu Kingdom? From the information I got from the British archives, before the disintegration, Olowu was next to Ooni.So he was so
powerful. At that time, he sent some of his men to collect royalty from the Alaafin, but the then ruler in Oyo could not afford his demands, so the Olowu told his men to march the Alaafin down to Owu. With supernatural powers, Sango, the brother to the then Alaafin, came and met all the demands of the Olowu. But because of the shame of being seized, the Alaafin declined returning to his stool and Sango became the new Alaafin. Olowu later demanded for tribute from Alaafin
From the information I got from the British archives, before the disintegration, Olowu was next to Ooni.So he was so powerful
Sango. And because he resisted being treated like his brother, issues starting cropping up. Ife saw that was an opportunity to resist and also the Ijebus. They waged war against Owu and defeated it. Is there any federal presence here like institutions? No, we have a road in front of our mosque here to the Federal Poly, Ede. It is about 20 minutes drive, but there is bridge that must be done. My grand father started the call on government to do the road since 1958, but, unfortunately, it has not been done. If the road is done, it will open up this town. We will want the Federal Government to come around and help us. We have land in abundance. We gave Osun State government about 1,000 hectares for its O’ REAP programme.I am also talking with the National Museum about some of our sites with the potential to attract tourists. Owu is an ancient town with rich history.Where our forefathers descended to the ground is a sacred place. I have invited officials of the Ministry of Culture and those of National Museum to come and look at the site. As a royal father, what is your view about polygamy? Many royal fathers are obviously drifting from the culture of having many wives. Any royal father that has just one wife is not worth his salt. It is either he is poor material-wise or he is poor in ideas. As a Muslim, I have freedom to marry as many as four wives. Also, as a traditional ruler, I have freedom to marry as many as I want. If our fore fathers had married just one wife, royalty would have long been wiped out. It was because our forefathers had many wives that made some of us to have the opportunity of being born into a ruling house. Polygamy is part of our culture and Obas must protect it. Thank God I am not poor, I am a Muslim and I am a traditional ruler, so I remain an advocate of polygamy in the palace.