Can you imagine becoming a King at the tender age of 26? That is what happened to His Royal Majesty, Alayeluwa Oba (Engr) Nurudeen Oluwadare Osoja, (MNSE, COREN) the Onikogbo of Ikogbo Kingdom, in Ogun State 10 years ago.
He is now 36. He was picked to lead his Community when he was only 26.
When he was told of that decision, he was scared. He wanted to run away abroad to avoid taking up the offer. But his family members and many stakeholders from the town prevailed on him to stay back. The rest is history.
Now, this ruggedly handsome king has settled in. He is enjoying that seat. He is an Engineer by profession and he has a thriving engineering practice in Lagos. He was born on March 3rd 1981 at Orile Agege, Lagos state, to the family of Mr Gbadabiu Rafiu Osoja and late Mrs Rainat Bello. Oba Osoja, a great Awori monarch started his educational career at Shasha Primary School, Shasha, Lagos State in 1987, where obtained his first leaving certificate.
He later enrolled at Shasha Community High School, Shasha Lagos where he completed his Junior Secondary School Examination JSSCE. He proceeded to Saka Tinubu Memorial High School, Orile Agege where he sat for his West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1999, and he had 8 distinctions, one credit, which qualified Kabiyesi as best student in the school for that year.
He also got admission into the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun state to study Civil Engineering. He graduated in 2002 with distinction grade to bag his Ordinary National Diploma (OND). He proceeded to Yaba College of Technology where he graduated with distinction grade Higher National Diploma (HND) Civil Engineering.
Oba Osoja got employed as a Site Engineer at a Civil Engineering firm in Lagos, Bideco Nigeria Limited, 58 Molade Okoya Thomas Crescent in Victoria Island, Lagos. Kabiyesi, was called upon to mount the stool of his forefathers in November 30th 2007 and he was crowned the Onikogbo of Ikogbo in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government at the age of 26 .
As a visionary leader, he proceeded to Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) after a year on the throne as a monarch and he got his Masters of Engineering in Structural Engineering (M. Engg). Kabiyesi, is the Chairman/Ceo Deensat Tech Engineering company limited that was registered in 2008, at 122, Ahmadu Bello way, Oduduwa House, Victoria Island Lagos. He is a member of many professional bodies like MNSE, COREN. Kabiyesi, is happily married to Oloori Adebusolami Osoja, and they are blessed with 4 lovely children.
Last week, City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE and Reporter, SUNDAY ADIGUN spent an evening with him at Ikogbo, as part of his ongoing 10th Coronation anniversary celebration. He spoke about the story of his life as the Onikogbo of Ikogbo.
Its 10 years on the throne. How do you feel?
I feel very happy, Glory be to almighty Allah. 10 years in the throne is not an easy thing. Glory be to almighty.
When you look back at the journey of 10 years what are the major things that you will say makes you happy?
Looking back to my accession on the throne, it wasn’t very easy, but today I’m very honoured and blessed I will continue to say Allahmidulayi Ogun State has not been doing well to us in Ikogboas regards road. Our roads are bad. Ikogbo people are very happy with my reign.
How do you plan to celebrate your 10 years on the throne?
We have started the celebration already since 3 to 4 days ago. I clocked 10 years on the 30th of November 2017. So we made a provision to celebrate it for 10days. The celebration started on November 30th and ends on December 10.
How did you accept the honour of stepping into the shoes of your forefathers, at the initial stage, considering the fact that you were still very young then?
It wasn’t easy, because then, I was very very young. I was just 26 then. And that was in 2007, I never thought of it.
What were you doing that time?
I was working, I graduated at age of 22, immediately I got employed with a construction company, because I read Civil Engineering from Yabatech, I graduated with Distinction grade I got employed in 2006 at Victoria Island as Site Engineer, before the call to ascend I got the clarion throne of my forefathers in 2007.
When the news came, what went through your mind?
Let’s call a spade a spade, I nearly rejected the call, because my predecessor didn’t use up to 10 years on the throne. He only spent 5 years, immediately I heard this I was discouraged. So I planned to run away from the throne, to go abroad.
But with the help of almighty God 1st stayed back. And there is this adage that says “Nkan Baba Omo Ki So Omo Lowo”. My dad is still alive. So that gave me courage and some of the Chief gave me courage. Today by the Grace of God we are still waxing stronger.
Can you share with us your background story?
I was born and brought up in Orile Agege in Lagos on March 3rd 1981. I lived at Agege until age of 7 before we moved down to Shasha very close to Egbeda, I started my Primary School there at Shasha Primary School, I finished my primary school before I proceeded to Saka Tinubu Memorial High School, Orile Agege where I finished my school cert. I got 8 distinctions 1 Credit. Then, I proceeded to Federal Polythenic Ilaro.
I studied Civil Engineering for my OND. I graduated with distinction grade as well. Immediately after my 3 months industrial attachment then I proceeded to Yabatech for my HND. Due to the nature of my profession, I needed to get my masters done before I can set up a private company so I did. I went for my Master after 1 years on the throne so I went to FUTA Akure.
So 1 year after the throne I went for my Masters in Structural Engineering in 2008. But with the support of Almighty Allah. God has made everything perfect. And thank God I have just one wife. She’s been very supportive, staying here, immediately I was crowned I stayed for 3 years in the town before I moved to Lagos to establish my own personal business. Then, I stay 3 days in the Palace, then 4 days in Lagos at Egbeda. I shuttle both. I do go to site as well.
Can you tell us a bit about the town and what is significant about the town?
Ikogbo was founded 300years ago by one Alagbegi. He relocated from Ile-Ife. When he was coming he brought some gods with him like Ogun, Sango and there is one called Alagbeju there is a shrine call Alagbeju in Ikogbo. Immediately he got to town very close to Ikogbo which is called Ilamiro, he left there to a place called Igbesune that was were he put his Oracle and that one now told him that you have to proceed to Ikogbo, where you have a thick bush. That is where the name was found “Oko To Gbo “ a thick forest.
What is the nature of the people of Ikogbo?
They are into farming, fishing and some other businesses.
What have you done so far to impact positively on the life of your people in Ikogbo?
Before, there was no maternity centre in Ikogbo, but I tried my effort with the support of my Local Government Ado Odo LG. We were able to build a Maternity Health Centre for Health Care delivery to make life easy for our people. Then we just built a Community Town Hall too.
And what other plans do you have for them?
My plan is to make Ikogbo one of the most popular towns in this area.
As one of the voice to reckon with in Ogun State, how can you describe the government of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun?
The government of Gov. Amosun has been doing very well, but in terms of the roads around here, we are behind, nothing has been done here. 40% of our land has been acquired by the state government as Free Trade zone and it was given to Chinese investors but nothing has happened to our roads.
How many villages to you have around here?
We have 12 villages around here, Ikogbo is one them. In Awori dialect we call them Ejila, 12 means Mejila. We team up together in other to be one and among the 12 villages, Ikogbo is No 1 We are the first one to be crowned. In Ejila we have 4 crowned towns, Ikogbo is No 1 followed by Itekun, Odan, Odan Abuja. So its Ikogbo, Itekun, Odan, Odan Abuja. Those are the 4 crowned viallages others have traditional heads (Baale).
Let’s talk about your marriage, how did you meet your wife?
Once I was told I am going to be the next king I knew I had to go ahead and marry. I began to make arrangements to get married.
There is an adage that says “Ko si aponle fun oba ti ko ni Olori laafin” We were actually courting before the call, so after I was called then we started making plans for wedding. We counted for last 2 years
Let me tell you one funny story, I had 3 girlfriends before I was called to ascend the throne. One is from Delta, one was from Abeokuta, the other was from Ekiti. So I told them that I was going to become the next king of my town, 2 of them ran away. They said they can’t do it. Even my present wife ran away. that she can do it. Then she came back and gave some advice. Later my wife came back giving me some advice that if its possible we should run away, I agreed with her and we started making the arrangements but things were not working the way we expected. So we both accepted to get married before the coronation. She was 22 then I was 26 and God has blessed us with 4 lovely kids. I had to resign from my company. They made all the necessary arrangement for wedding. This is my 12 years of marriage.
What has this throne added to you so far? In terms of advantages?
There are many advantages, now as a king. I have my own company. So whenever I write a proposal to any company they are ready to reckon with me , you know I can’t limit myself to the throne alone, till now I still go to the site for inspection of some of my projects.
How do you spend the time to relax?
I travel out of the country anytime I want to relax you can be here and say you want rest, anything that happen in the community they have to call your attention to it.
What’s your relationship like with other villages?
We are close. We normally do things in common on this my anniversary celebration, most of the traditional heads in EJILA will be here to celebrate with me, by Gods grace.
You have what is called ONIKOGBO in Council like how many members do you preside over?
They are my Chiefs. They are about 18 in number. They are indigenous chiefs, not honourary. We meet once in a week, every Friday.
You have a new Chief that we hear you want to crown. Tell us about him?
Yes he is one of our sons in Ejila called Chief Oluwasesan Fagbeyi, I am going to confer on him, a Chieftaincy title during my celebration, by the special grace of God.
He has been doing well.
On our way here now we saw caterpillars trying to grade the road leading into the town. What efforts did you put into it?
For the past 10 years we have been doing the grading the roads to make it at teats motorable a bit. But recently, towards this 10 years anniversary, with the support of the Ogun State Chinese investors they assisted us with pay loaders and grader. So we have been able to grade a lot of kilometres of road from here to Igbesa.
There are a lot of industries around here. How are they trying to keep Ikogbo town?
I believe with the support of the government, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the industries can help because we have the highest concentration of industries within Ade Odo Ota. Yet we are the ones left behind in terms of development and infrastructural facilities.
That is what we want government to do in terms of Infrastructure. So, we need good roads in Ikogbo. All our roads are bad. We practically don’t have any tarred roads here. You saw what you went through before you got here.
What is your day to day activity like? What’s you schedule like?
Normally, I wake up by 8:30am, a time I wake up 6am to pray during the weekends I wake up around 10am on Saturdays. When I wake up, I go to my office at Victoria Island. Mondays to Thursday I go to work in my office at Victoria Island in Lagos. Fridays to Sundays, I am always in the palace.
How do you cope as a young cosmopolitan Kabiyesi trying to resolve complex local issues?
It’s not very easy. Since I have very older Chiefs, my own is to sit down and hear them out. Whenever anybody brings a case, I will first call upon the younger Chief for their contribution and advice, then I will call the older Chiefs and from there I will be able to derive my own judgements and what I am going to say as final.
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