EXACTLY a week ago, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja was crowned the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, taking the title Arusa 1, being the first to be so crowned in the Arusa family of Isale Osi, Ibadan. Though a week has passed since Olubadan’s coronation, telltale signs of the ceremony remain conspicuous in the big city. Banners, billboards, lamppost banners, and signposts of different colours and sizes still adorn the streets, thus making the corners and the streets continue to wear the celebratory mood that preceded September 26. They are all signs that the revered monarch, Oba Ladoja’s ascension to the throne was welcomed by the young, the old, the high and the lowly, the indigenes and residents alike. The scenes around his celebration are such that have not been replicated around the coronation of any such top-class monarch in recent years.
But the widespread acceptance of Oba Ladoja’s reign also comes with huge expectations. There is no denying the fact that all of the indigenes, the residents of Ibadan and friends of Ibadan, who supported the coronation events, whether with cash or kind or with their physical presence, have one expectation or the other of the new monarch. Discussions around the streets of Ibadan and in enlightened circles indicate that many are of the view that Ladoja would deliver the goods to the ancient city. There are those who believe that with the Oba, having shown capacity and vision as governor of Oyo State between 2003 and 2007, the assurance is there that he would take Ibadan to greater heights.
Prof Toyin Falola, a renowned professor of African Studies, who currently chairs the Jacob and Sanger Mossiker Chair in Humanities at the University of Texas, Austin, United States, was the guest lecturer at the first coronation lecture organised in honour of Oba Ladoja as the coronation processed flagged off last week. The professor of History, who spoke on the topic: ‘Ibadan History: Issues in Tradition and Modernity,’ told his audience that the personality of Oba Ladoja who had been successful in business and politics would bring development to Ibadan. He further submitted: ‘Though he is not the governor, the expectation of the people of Ibadan and the state is high because he has the power to influence things to be achievable.’
Falola’s message was not lost on anyone in the gathering, and those who picked up copies of the lecture afterwards. The growing trust deficit on democracy and governance among the people has failed to reassure them that the governance model would solve their problems. Many top Africans, former leaders, and scholars have also continued to raise issues about service delivery under the democratic procedures adopted by Africans. Not a few Nigerians have raised issues with service delivery in the country, which turned 65 on Wednesday. The grumblings about democratic growth, service delivery under democracy, and the capacity of the system of government to ensure the growth they need apparently fired the instinct of many in the traditional system bequeathed by their forebears. The Ibadan monarchy, one of the surviving legacies of the Yoruba/African political system, appears to provide the fillip for the people to invest their hope once again, and that should largely account for the zeal, the ceremony, the widespread unity of purpose with which every strata of Ibadanland participated in the coronation process.
The chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, would also reinforce the people’s belief in Oba Ladoja when she spoke at the reception held in respect of the coronation on Sunday. Speaking at the Civic Reception put together by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigene (CCII) at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Awolowo Dosumu told the monarch to ensure his reign reignites an Ibadan renaissance. Reflecting on the scenes that pervaded the coronation ceremony, she said it was ‘the renewal of the spirit of Ibadan.’
She commended Oba Ladoja for offering to restore Ibadan’s old glory, ensure a crime-free society, and foster a city where leaders act with integrity and make the indigenes and residents feel at home, adding that: ‘These are not just words. They are a manifesto of purpose, a call to action, and a covenant with the people.’
Awolowo Dosumu also directed her message to the monarch, the Mogajis, and the people, urging the chiefs and all stakeholders to work with the Kabiyesi to achieve the lofty tasks ahead. She said: ‘As we honour Kabiyesi, we also rededicate ourselves to that vision. Let this coronation not only be the celebration of a new reign but the beginning of a new renaissance for Ibadan.’
At that same event, a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, spoke about the huge expectations on the shoulders of Arusa 1. He told the monarch to build on the administrative legacies of Late Oba Akinyele and Oba Oloyede Asanike, adding that the two monarchs made significant impacts in the growth of Ibadan. He specifically praised Oba Akinyele for bringing wisdom and scholarship to bear on the palace during his reign, while, according to him, Oba Asanike’s sense of humour and native intelligence guaranteed the stability of Ibadanland.
He submitted: ‘Oba Ladoja should learn from Olubadan Akinyele, who brought wisdom and scholarship to the palace. Also, he should learn from Olubadan Asanike, who chose humour and native intelligence to bring change and stability.’
The first words of Oba Ladoja upon receiving the staff and instruments of office on September 26 also did not let the people down. He spoke to President Bola Tinubu as a friend and repeated the key demand of the Ibadan people for Ibadan State. He even asked the people to rise and thank the president for accepting the request. Besides that, the monarch has also expressed his readiness to ensure that institutions operating within Ibadanland contribute to the city’s economy by providing jobs for the people. He also said at the Civic reception that he planned to grow the economy of not only Ibadan but Oyo State as a whole, adding that he would ensure an enabling environment for investors.
He said: ‘The major assignment before me as Olubadan of Ibadanland is the growth of Ibadanland. The status of Olubadan is not about the wearing of status but ensuring the all-round growth of the town. To achieve this feat, I will collaborate with the government at all levels to ensure that Ibadan and Oyo State at large maintain their pace-setter status.
‘We are all governing Ibadan. I am just the coordinator. You people are the small Olubadans; I am the big Olubadan. Ibadan will be greater by God’s grace and with your support. I am now the king of all religious groups in Ibadan. We have never had a record of religious crisis in Ibadan because members of the various religious groups are represented in each family in Ibadanland. Ibadan is a fertile land for investment and economic growth. It shall continue to be well with Ibadan.’
With those words coming from the new Olubadan, it is not in doubt that he is well abreast of the tasks ahead. The Olubadan must bring his weight to bear on the growing social vices, which are becoming commonplace not only in Ibadan but in our society across the land. Ibadan is also home to several moribund companies and dying industrial estates. Ogun State is already leveraging on the access provided by the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to site several multi-million industries; Ibadan and Oyo State can take a cue. Not a few residents and indigenes who celebrated the ascension of Oba Ladoja to the throne would be thrilled to see the monarch take efforts in reviving most, if not all, of the dead industries which made Ibadan thick in the days of old.