Assistant Editor South West, MUYIWA OLALEYE, writes on the person and agenda of the new Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, who was crowned on December 7.
The eventual coronation of Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi as Ooni of Ile-Ife, Ojaja II, on Monday, December 7, came with prospects and challenges for the new monarch, it has been estimated.
The emergence of the 40-year-old Ogunwusi from the Giesi Ruling House as Ooni, was received with great excitement in Ile-Ife, Osun State and elsewhere in the Southwest. In Ile-Ife, wildly regarded as the spiritual home of the Yoruba, the residents celebrated the appointment with a lot of fanfare.
Oba Ogunwusi was selected from 36 candidates presented by the Ruling House for the exalted stool. Before his appointment, the last descendant of the Giesi Ruling House that occupied the position was Ooni Derin Ologbenla who reigned between 1880 and 1894.
Generational shift in leadership?
Though the new Ooni’s looks and youthfulness attracted a lot of attention, his emergence does not represent a generational shift in leadership. It had appeared considering that he is coming after Oba Sijuwade, Olubuse II, who ascended the throne at 50 and joined his ancestors at the ripe age of 85; after sitting on the throne for 35 years. As a result, people had become too used to the old man occupying the exalted throne for decades.
But, Sijuwade’s predecessor, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, occupied the throne at 41.
Incidentally, Oba Aderemi, who was born on November 15, 1889, was the first literate Ooni. He also had the distinction of being the longest reigning Ife monarch, having ruled for 50 years.
However, at 40, Ogunwusi is one of the youngest Oonis to have ascended the throne in recent times. That, though, is not enough to say that his emergence represents a generational shift.
Indeed, an observer, Princess Funke Adetutu Olabintan, does not see anything unusual in the new Ooni’s age. As far as he is concerned, it is only in Nigeria that a 40-year old man is considered too young for any position.
He adds nevertheless: “It is a wise choice. It takes this calibre of man to bring some reform into the system. I will not be surprised if he keeps only a wife as against your notion that his ascension to the throne is a ticket to polygamy.”
The king, the industrialist
The new monarch is a property magnate. A graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, he is a certified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), as well as that of the Institute of Management. Upon his graduation, he grew rapidly in business, becoming a successful real estate merchant. A multimillionaire businessman, he has been involved in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts locally and abroad for over 12 years.
The new monarch is the Managing Director of Howard Roark Gardens Limited, which is undertaking multi-million naira Jacob Mews Estate project in Yaba and the Lakeview Real Estate Development in Lekki, both in Lagos.
A position foretold
Oba Ogunwusi was born into the family of John Oluropo Ogunwusi, from the famous Ojaja lineage of the Giesi Ruling House of the Agbedegbede Quarters in Ile-Ife. His mother, Margaret Wuraola Ogunwusi, was born into the family of Soji-Opa, a prominent cocoa merchant in Ile-Ife. His father was a radio presenter.
While reacting to his son’s emergence as Ooni, Pa Ogunwusi said he had the premonition that his son Enitan would become the Ooni one day. He said: “To God be the glory. God has sent him on a message. He will give him the grace to do the job well. The glory of God has been upon him right from childhood with the hope that his fame will be heard about in the whole world and that has happened today and he is going to be a blessing to Ife people.”
A prominent leader from the Giesi Ruling House and former Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Youth and Special Needs, Biyi Odunlade, said Ogunwusi’s emergence as the new Ooni was not by chance, but by merit and popular vote by the kingmakers and the divine approval of the Ifa Oracle.
He assured that based on his amiable character, integrity, humility and passion for the culture, tradition and development of Ife, his emergence would bring more peace, progress and unity to not only Ife people but also the entire Yoruba race.
Rocky road to the throne
Ogunwusi’s emergence was not without controversy. Since the death of Oba Sijuwade on July 28, there had been tension and controversy in the race for a successor, a development which divided the four ruling houses, following the kingmakers’ endorsement of the Giesi Ruling House based on the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration. There are four ruling houses in Ile-Ife – Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru, and Oshikola. Sijuwade, who reigned between 1980 and 2015, is of the Ogboru royal lineage.
Although it appeared certain that the Giesi house would produce the next Ooni, being next to the Ogboru ruling house in the succession order established by government declaration on the Ooni chieftaincy title of 1977, the Ogboru and Lafogido ruling houses challenged the decision of the kingmakers to restrict the search to the Giesi ruling house.
The Ogboru family contended that the Giesi ruling lineage should blame itself for conceding its turn to produce an Ooni to the late Sijuwade, saying the concession to the late king was to him as an individual and not to the Ogboru clan as a whole.
Two members of the Lafogido Ruling House also sued Governor Aregbesola, the Obalufe of Ile-Ife, the late Oba Solomon Omisakin and Lowa of Ife, Joseph Ijaodola at an Osun State High Court over the decision to allow only the Giesi Ruling House present candidates for the stool.
They asked the court to nullify the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration, saying it was “lopsided, unjust, unconstitutional and unfair.” But, the Osun State High Court, presided over by Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo dismissed the suit challenging the competence of the chieftaincy declaration.
Agenda for Ooni
Now for the people of Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba race, it is a new dawn. The coronation of Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, marks the beginning of a new era in the ancient city, many have stated. The office however comes with challenges for the young monarch.
The Ife/Modakeke crisis is a sore point that analysts suggest, must attract the attention of the new Ooni. Incidentally, the problem has been in existence since the reign of Olubuse I, but came to the peak during the time of Oba Sijuwade, the Olubuse II. Indeed, in 1998, the two communities fought bloody war that claimed many lives.
However, for 50 years that Oba Aderemi, the precursor of Oba Sijuwade reigned, there was peace as the two communities lived in harmony. Sources disclosed that Oba Aderemi, in achieving the relative harmony, played the role of a royal father to all by marrying a wife from Madakeke!
The question by many since his coronation, last Monday, has been if the new Ooni would ensure lasting peace between the two warring communities. Interestingly, Oba Ogunwusi has vowed that under his reign, Ife and Modakeke would not fight one another again.
“In recent history, one cannot mention Ile-Ife without acknowledging the Ife and Modakeke conflict. It is unfortunate that lives were lost during the war between Ife and Modakeke; a war that had no economic value and displaced many lives…
“We shall set up a foundation that will support post war effects and the rebuilding of war torn Ife and Modakeke. Thereafter, there shall never be war again. I stand firmly for peace and unity between Ife and Modakeke. I guarantee that this peace and unity will transcend into economic and social benefits for everyone”, Ooni had assured.
Perhaps, another issue that may come to play is the age long rivalry and supremacy battle between the Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo. When the current Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III was installed in the late ‘70s, he somehow accorded seniority and respect to the then Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, who was not only an elderly monarch but also the governor of the then Western Region. But that ended with the passing away of Oba Aderemi and the enthronement of Oba Sijuwade.
There was no love lost between the two kings as they regularly rivalled one another. Even the creation of Osun State from the old Oyo State did not stop the war. There was still mutual distrust and cultural rivalry between the two until the demise of Oba Sijuwade.
There has been anxiety on whether the animosity would continue between the youthful Ooni and elderly Alaafin. Naturally, as an elderly Oba, the Alaafin will expect the youthful Ooni, to accord him the same respect and honour he gave the late Oba Aderemi.
However, being a man of peace, the new Ooni has promised not to engage in any animosity or supremacy war with anybody: “We shall use this stool to unify the entire Yoruba race. There shall be no division, no supremacy or animosity among us. We are all from one and the same source – God Almighty.”
In Yoruba cosmogony, sons prostrate to greet their fathers and not the other way round. So, now that his son has become king, would Pa Ogunwusi prostrate like everyone to greet him? This is a great concern for many, most especially, traditionalists. Nevertheless, Pa Ogunwusi set the record straight when he disclosed that he would prostrate for his son if occasion demanded. Expectations are high on how the Ooni handles the situation.
Prominent Nigerians that attended Ooni’s inauguration included the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and his Oyo State counterpart, Abiola Ajimobi.