Ijebu People Are Great People All Over The World- Prince Adedire Adetona
Prince Adedire Adetona is the first born and first son of His Royal majesty Oba Dr. Sikiru Kayode Adetona, ogbagba agba otewole of Ijebu land.
The crown Prince of Ijebu Ode rarely granted an interview.
Recently, integrityreporters Adewale Ogunniran met him and he had exclusive interview with the newspaper.
Q: Can We meet you?
And: I am Prince Adedire Adetona,I am the first child of the revered monarch,Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona the Awujale of Ijebu land.
I am the first child and the first son.
I am well above sixty.I have four kids.Adedoyin,Adadapo,Adebusola and Adebanke, and I am married to Olori Oluwatosin Adetona.
Q: Tell us about your educational background?
And: I had my elementary education in Ijebu Ode at Luba Primary School.
From Luba Primary School,I spent two years then to Adeola and then
to Millfield school in England and from there I went to Dublin to do my “A levels”.I later went to University of Maiduguri for my Degree and I also trained with KPMG as an audit clerk.
I have been doing business in construction, investment company and real estate.
Q: All your children bears names synonymous to Ade,what is the reason for this?
And: Royalty
Q: As a Prince, there are experiences that are challenging and memorable to you.Can you share some of these experiences?
And: When I first had my first child Doyin,I was very happy.She is doing well and she can still do better.
Another memorable day in my life was when my father was sick and almost dead and he came back.
The whole of Ogun State,the whole of Ijebu people came out.When we get to the centre of Ijebu,the people asked him to get down of the car.
People walked from Sagamu toll gate to Ijebu Ode with him.
He had to come down from his car and walked among his people to tell the world that he was alive.It was a remarkable day.The crowd was huge.
The excitement was huge and the jubilation was great.
And as a son, I stood afar as I witnessed this.I felt loved.
Q: Awujale is well loved and respected not only in Ijebu Ode but across Ijebu land and even beyond.
Why is your father so loved?
And: Let us put it to God.But I think it is also more of his character.Kabiesi
is reliable,he is dependable,he is consistent.
Q: As the first child and first son, what are the lessons you have learnt from Kabiesi?
And: I learnt character.Whether negative or positive,you must have a clear character.In every situation, I have imbibed how to behave.All my life I have learned to manage expectations.
Q: Is it your Hard work, experiences, exposures and network or your name as a prince of a foremost Yoruba Oba that has been opening doors for you?
And: I don’t have any other life experiences other than that of royalty.I was born and raised on the throne.So,all I have known growing up is royalty.Therefore,no matter the grade,when I see any traditional ruler,I respect them because of my background and lessons I have learnt as a royal son.I have enjoyed royalty every minute of my life.
Part of it is why you are here as my guest.
Q: Any regret being a royal son?
Ans: Not at all.My father shields us from any of those regrets.
Q: At 91, Awujale is known to have a very sharp memory,an upright and very tough monarch.Have you ever experienced that part of his toughness as his son?
Ans: Certainly yes.My father is an upright person,very detailed.You don’t have to remind him about what concerns him.He is always on top of his game.He does not want to involve himself in controversies.He does not like the stage all the time.He operates quietly.He is a blessed man,well blessed.
Q: Since you are born,you have been enjoying grace and affluence.
What can you say is responsible for this.
Ans: It is largely because of the love from my Ijebu people and I am very grateful for that.
They honour and because of this unquantified honour,I like to manage expectations.I know I have represented them properly and they have never let us down.Ijebu people are great people all over the world.
Q: The saying that royalty is full of problems.? Have you ever experienced some problems of any kind?
Ans: Yes,as human, occasionally you have a taste of what it takes to live in life.
Share your experiences with us. I went to the most expensive school in the world.The Millfield school was the most expensive school in the world in the late 70s and 80s , according to the Guiness Book of Records.And can you imagine being not doing well in school.And they dropped you with four Ankara bubba and Sokoto in a flat in Lawason for eight years.I came out of that challenges.That is exactly why I am who I am today.I had to join buses from Lawason to where I need to go without money.Then,I claim to be a staff whenever I
boarded a bus.
From Millfield school to Maiduguri it was hardship.You are talking about the hottest weather in Nigeria.I adjusted and deal with the issues.
Q: Can you do that to your children?
Ans: No.I wouldn’t.But at the same time they must be accommodating.The threshold must be deep enough that they can overcome problems in life.
Q: From the experiences gathered during your low moments,what tips do you think is necessary for somebody to be successful in life?
Ans: Dream big and determine to go without looking back.Success for me is the ability to rise whenever you fall Success is not the riches.It is not the houses,but the ability to rise when you fall.That is the usual saying of my friend Asiwaju Babasola Adebajo
Q: Ojude Oba has become an international fiesta,with dignitaries coming from all over the world to participate in the annual festival, three days after the Eid- Kabir festival.What is the reason for this huge success.
Ans: Royalty is a mixture of the diversity.
A king cannot be only attached to the elites.It has to be a mixture of both the elites and people from the grassroots.From that balance,you draw your strength and tap to the resources available.When you do that,you break even.
Ojude Oba has been going on for decades and every year,it improves.
And every year,whether it is on a public holiday or not,the festival naturally shut down the whole of Ijebu land.
Ojude Oba is the only festival that unites the Ijebus.We look at the prospect every year, particularly the commercial aspect of it and we make sure it improves every year.
It become bigger and bigger every year because of the combination of the three major genres,you pay homage to the royalty,there is the Regberegbe and the Balogun families.
Those are the three major vocal points of Ojude Oba that has made it a successful fiesta.There is still room for improvement which I believe people are looking at and exploring it so that they can widen the commercial net for it and take good advantage of it when necessary.
Ojude Oba has come to stay and I noticed people are now copying the template in their various towns and communities.
Q: Can you speak the Ijebu dialect?
Ans: Yes,very well because that is my first love.You can’t separate my royalty from my personality,I am both all rolled into one.And I have my experiences molding me as I go along in life.
Q: Where do you see Ijebu Ode in the next few years.
Ans: With the advent of the new state we are being given,I pray that we get it as planned and I pray that my father live to witness it.I pray that the state be administered by a thorough- bred technocrat.I see Ijebu going places because we are quite endowed people.
From our understanding,a typical Ijebu man is a potential entrepreneur. And that has been our strength as a people.
Q: Many believe that the Yoruba language is gradually going into extinction because many of the young generation of today could not speak the language, even in our homes,they speak English language and that has really put to question how can we salvage this language from going into extinction?What is your views on this?
Ans: Well,let me ask you to look around this house, what do you see? Pictures of my ancestors.You see pictures of my father,the Awujale when he received the certificate for the throne.The ones you see on the wall was the original certificate.You see pictures of my maternal grand parents.So what that implies is that as a prince I am committed to royalty and it is that stool that made me who I am today.I preserve the traditional institution culture and as the longest reigning crown Prince in the world,I believe it is my duty to preserve the culture of the Yoruba.
Q: What is your message for the new generation of today on how to sustain Yoruba language?
Ans: It is our duty to preserve our language.For instance,England is the only country in the world where the social stratification is clearly stated.I am culturally aware that it’s my duty to preserve the culture of the Yoruba to continue to enjoy the benefits of a royal prince.
Therefore,I must embrace my culture.
Q: How do you feel when you hear stories of traditional rulers being involved in uncharitable acts,that even led to being imprisoned?
Ans: I feel pained because it disvalues my pedigree.And the reason for this ,as far as I am concerned is that in some places the process of getting enthroned to a traditional stool is heavily commercialised.
When the process is being abused that is what you get.
If I may advise the kingmakers or the Afobajes that whenever it is time to appoint an Oba in a town.
They should mindful of their roles.
They should be mindful of their positions and representations, especially, on the selection and appointment of an Oba.
A king is chosen by God,however , those saddle with the responsibility must do it with the fear of God and they should be fair enough to know that they are the representative of the people of the town.
Q: Do you believe there should be a constitutional role for an Oba?
Ans: I believe there should be constitutional role for traditional rulers.But it should be limited to the first class Obas, not all them.
Q: How do you unwind?
Ans: I go to antique shops.I did Pollo in the past but now,I have left that for my son.I go to antique shops now because it relaxes me and put me in a better mood.I collect Artworks.
Q: Do you have anything to tell your Ijebu people because they like to hear from you they adore you as their prince because you add value to them?
Ans:They have added value to me. Without them, we might not be where we are today.Like I said,I don’t know anything aside royalty.
If I get to anywhere, I am given a place to sit. It is because I am a prince. So, I respect my people that they cooperate with my father .
I respect them, I love them and I pray for more understanding between my father and his people and pray to God to give my father long life and good health
Q: Ojude Oba is around the corner What is the new thing coming out of Ojude Oba this time around?
Ans:It is going to be more exciting this time because we are on the verge getting Ijebu State,
So the excitement will be there.The
expectations are high.
There is going to be a lot of joy, in anticipation of Ijebu State. My people are looking forward to it
Q: Can you quantify if the coming value in terms of Naira and Kobo can you tell us few of it.
Is it true that all the hotels in Ijebu are already booked ?
Ans: They have done it since last year there is no hotel room now in Ijebu Ode.Everywhere is booked.
So we should be expecting bigger Ojude Oba,more fun,new innovation for this coming Ojude Oba.
The innovations are coming in gradually.
