The new Owa Adimula Obokun of Ijesaland, Kabiyesi Clement Adesuyi Haastrup Ajimoko III, has officially ascended the throne of his ancestors. It is absolutely the fact that the process of his choice and the rapidity with which he was presented the staff of office, to put it mildly, is unique and unusual. However, given the caliber of great and eminent Ijesa leaders including our Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, our Baba Sawe, virtually all the Kabiyesis in Ijeshaland, led by the Elegboro, the President of the IDC Elder Supo Shadiya, Alhaji Lateef A Bakare, Yeyerise of Ijesaland, eminent jurists like Dr. Adedotun Onibokun and other key stakeholders, de creme de la creme of the Ijesa high society, commissioners, the Ijesa grassroots, paramount rulers from across the state and, of course the Governor, all in attendance within a space of less than 24 hours.
That should send the unequivocal message to all to sheath their swords, to prioritize Ijesaland’s hard earned subsisting environment of unity, peace and development that eluded us for decades until now, over and above the pain of our preferred candidate not making the cut.
Yes, we wished the selection process had been 100% and by the book, but we can not allow the perfect be the enemy of the greater good.
Kings and rulers are ordained by God. There can only be one king in palace at one time. The Bible enjoins us in Romans 13:1-7: that People should submit to governing authorities because they are established by God. The Bible did not tell us to submit to only the authority whose emergence was done via our preferred modality.
Does Kabiyesi Adesuyi possess the gravitas, the intellectual, physical, and material acumen to occupy the throne? Was he eligible as a descendant of the ruling house? Would he probably have emerged had the process dragged on for weeks? Is he the most qualified, based on personal qualities, experience, accomplishments, national and global connections that will come in handy in attracting development to the community? Is he the worthy Ambassador Oba for Ijesaland who is already equipped with the charisma and wherewithal before ascending the throne to become relevant from day one among the first tier of Obas in Nigeria? Is he an Oba who will not be going cap in hand begging or grabbing and selling community land for sustenance and become an errand boy for the Ooni Ife?
Yes, many of us are aggrieved that proper protocol might not have been followed to the letter, but if you can answer affirmatively to the questions, we must do the honorable thing by following the lead of our Ijesa leaders and submit to the authority of our new Kabiyesi.
We must prioritize the peace, unity, non-violence, growth, and development of Ijesaland as more paramount than who the paramount king is. We should not write off the Kabiyesi based on how he ascended the throne but give him the space to prove his mettle.
Given the circumstances of his ascension to the throne, it would be expected of our new Owa who has just been installed to prioritize and devote all of his energy to healing the fissure the process adopted in his selection has created in Ijesaland, to unite the divided Ruling House, regularize and legitimize the process, the procedures, the paperwork for the chieftaincy institution in Ijesaland, whose underbelly has been exposed for the world to see. We shouldn’t have high chiefs in Ijesaland whose paperwork at the state level has not been regularized if one is to believe the story about why prominent kingmakers were excluded from the selection process. Sadly, our traditional monarchical institution, whose reputation has already taken a bad beating over these past decades, has just gotten another huge punch in the gut. The implication is that the new Owa has a lot of work to do to rebuild the institutional reputation of our monarchy, restore the citizens confidence, and respect for this hallowed institution, as well as reposition it to its past glory. It is only then that His Royal Majesty can meet up the huge expectation of Ijesa at home and abroad to accelerate and build on the solid foundation of unity, peace, and community-led development that has already been laid. His first official duty of announcing the appointment of Alhaji Lateef A. Bakare as the Ajiroba of Ijesaland was a stroke of genius.
Sir LAB is a grassroots man with his ears to the ground who knows the pulse of the Ijesa society. He would serve him in the reconciliation and healing process.
The better news is that some of the heavy lifting has already been done under the able leadership of Asiwaju Fasuyi and the exceptionally talented team of seasoned community leaders and stakeholders who have worked diligently to create an ecosystem of development.
The flip side of that great news is the challenge it poses to the new King , and there is no doubt he will meet and exceed. The standard of expectation for performance of Ijesa for their monarch is now through the stratosphere. Ijesa have no stomach and patience for incompetence or the go-slow approach. The new monarch would need a huge bust of energy, creativity, wisdom, a listening ear, and innovative 21st century approach to community governance to manage a high energy, highly motivated, development-oriented citizenry. It is our obligation and commitment as his patriotic subjects to support him as he embarks on this Herculean task. May the reign of Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijeshaland, His Royal Majesty Clement Adesuyi Haastruup Ajimoko III bring renewed unity, peace, harmony, and unprecedented development to Ijesaland.
Adewale Alonge, PhD, is Founder & President, Africa Diaspora Partnership for Empowerment and Development. www.adped.org
