On Monday 21st December, 2020 the sleepy town of Joga Orile, in Egbado North, in Ogun State came alive.
It was because Alayeluwa Oba (Dr.) Adeyemi Olanrewaju Adekeye (LAGORI III) the Abepa of Joga Orile, Egbado North, Ogun State celebrated his 18th Coronation Anniversary amidst promp and pageantry.
A lot of prominent Nigerians stormed Joga Orile. The event was star-studded, as many Kings stormed the 18th coronation anniversary of Alayeluwa Oba Adeyemi Olanrewaju Alani Adekeye, the Abepa of Joga Orile in Yewa North, Ogun State.
They include Oba Daniel Salako Aboro of Iboro, Yewa, Oba Mukaila Salako, the Adokun Igan-Okoto, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, the Eselu of Iselu Yewa; Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewa, Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi, Alapomu of Apomu, Osun State, Oba Adewale Osiberu, Elepe of Epe, Shagamu, Ogun State, Oba Idowu Basibo, Alaperu of Iperu, Oba Adenuga Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye; Oba Sunday Adelakun, Onigbeji of Igbeji Yewa; Oba Engr. G.O. Olalowo, Alademeso of Igan Alade, Oba Fatai Akamo, Olu of Itori; Oba Showemimo and Olu Owode of Owode Egba.
Abepa of Joga Orile gives special thanks to the following Ogun Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun Central), Sen. Tolu Odebiyi (Ogun West), Sen. Lekan Mustapha (Ogun East), Sen. Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) Lagos West, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Dende Egungboun, Lekan Adebiyi Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Otunba Seyi Olufade, Chief Jamiu Akande Omoniyi, the Jagunmolu of Jogaland, the Commissioner of Lands & Housing, in Ogun State.
At the event, many of Oba Adekeye’s friends wore a Beige Agbada designed by Otunba Wasiu Taiwo (Wessy Creations). The roll call of Kabiyeesi’s friends are as follows: Otunba Wasiu Taiwo, Baba Oja Niyi Olasoji, Otunba Peter Obafemi, Femi Bisiriyu, Amona Taofik Omololu, AIG Leye Oyebade, Chief Soetan, Ekerin Suraju Akinsanya, Gbobaniyi Kola Sunbola, Hon. Tunde Olaotan, Otunba Seye Kehinde, Otunba Femi Akingbade, Baaroyin Bisi Olatilo.
Oba Adekeye thanks all the individuals and organisations who made the event a huge success like the Abepa in Council (Joga Orile Yewa), the Christian Community Joga Orile, The Muslim Community Joga Orile, Esin Abalaye Isese Joga Orile, the Nigerian Police, Joga Orile, The Nigeria Customs, Joga Orile, Joga Orile Youth Association and all friends of Oba Adekeye.
Two bands thrilled at the event. Musiliu Haruna Ishola Band & Faith Band. 8 successful Nigerians were installed as Chiefs. They are Oniyitan Taofeek Adisa, who was made The Elemo, Jimoh Rafiu Bolanle as Ogalu, Alhaji Adeogun Taoreed Ajagbe as Odofin, Amudalatu Olayinka Adeyanju as Iyalase, Bankole Ramoni as Oniado, Omolola Iyabode Brimo (Ajala) as Iyagbogbo, Alhaja Idera Osinusi as Yeyeluwa and Afolabi Sodunke (Afo Guarantor) as Akinrogun of Joga Orile.
In the last 18 years, Joga Orile has witnessed Growth & Development.
Alayeluwa Oba Adeyemi Olanrewaju Adekeye, the Abepa of Jogaland, Joga-Orile, Egbado North, Ogun State is 63 and he will be celebrating his 64th birthday next month.
City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE, who is an Otunba of Joga Orile, interviewed him not to long ago at his palace and they spoke about his life and thoughts as King of this historic town. Below are excerpts of the interview.
In a few days time, you will be turning 64. How does it make you feel?
I feel normal. I don’t feel 64 because I am still a get up and go guy. Right now I don’t feel 64.
How do you plan to celebrate it?
As usual, I start my celebrations with God. So on my actual birthday. I am going to church. After service, we are going to come back to Olumilade Country Home and entertain our people. As usual, we will make sure we enjoy ourselves.
What are the landmarks on the throne that you can share with us at 64?
One of the landmarks is my God give grace for me because its by grace that I have been able to achieve a lot of things its through him. When I was called to come and be the Abepa of Joga Orile, I was running helter-skelter, all around that, haa! What will I eat, I would I survive but I found out that God is the one that made you. He will provide for you. He will ensure that as he crowned you, he will do everything for you, nothing is impossible with God. And he will surprise you as he is surprising me everyday, because I don’t regret coming to be an Oba, because he is always there for me every second. God didn’t promise that there won’t be problem but he said every problem, you will overcome it all the end. That is what he told me.
Let me take you back to your childhood years. Where were you born? Where did you grow up?
I was born at the General Hospital, in Ilaro. My father and mother were civil servants. They kept moving them from here to there, so we changed placed eveytime. It was nice growing up. I was a bit troublesome whilst growing up. I was like typical young boy and everybody used to tease me then that, oh Yemi, you are too troublesome. So, even when my dad does shakara, it is still my mum that will pamper me and take me all around. I changed schools all the time. My parents wanted me close to them all the time, so that they can keep an eye on me. But God was always with me.
At the time you were growing up, did you have any premonition that someday you will be king one day?
Yes. You are very right. If you look at my name, it is Adeyemi. That is what yorubas call Akosejaiye. They will give you the name that will align with what will happen to you. I am not the only one in my family but they gave me Adeyemi. Atimes they do call me Obalola. But I don’t lookat it as some thing to take serious because in 1993, my predecessor gave me a chieftaincy title then. I asked him: why do you want to give me chieftancy title? I am a Prince now, so why? He said Noo, its not like that. Hold on to this now. The bigger one is coming I am giving you this because I want you in Joga everytime. He gave me the title Bashorun of Joga Orile. Since then, everybody in Joga knew I was going to be king someday. Since then I have been everywhere. My predecessor died in 1997. He is Oba Adesina. I left Nigeria 1998 back to the US. In late 1996, Gen. Abacha closed down my finance house so I had to go back to the U.S to just hustle again. And then they started calling on me to come and be the king, that its my time to be the king, that its my time to be the king. They kept calling me to come back and in 2002 I made up my mind to come. Dele Momodu the OVATION Publisher was one of the people who pushed me down. He said Bashorun we are coming to meet you in Houston to come and do the sendforth for you.
Go back home. Then, I came. It was at that time I found out that its God that provides for you. No matter how big you, if God does not do the spade work for you, you won’t be able to achieve anything. No matter how big you are, if God does not do the spade work for you, you won’t be able to achieve it. When I got here everything was ready for me. Everybody knew I was coming. Everybody was just helping, helping, supporting me. I found it very easy to get whatever I wanted to get. Here I am today. I give glory to him. I am 15 years on the throne just like that. I became 15 years on December 21, 2017. I became Abepa in 2002.
What are the major things you’ve been able to do to affect your community?
With the support of the government we have done a lot of things. When I came in I decided to develop and expand our community from the turning off the highway into town. In my bid to do that they took me to court, but with Gods grace I won the case after 8 years. When God is with you nobody can do anything to oppose you. Right now we have every thing that you are suppose to have in the town from light, water, school, halls I am building a new and befitting Joga Orile Palace. Where we are is my home. It is my house. You will see it outside that it is Olumilade Country Home. That is my fathers name. The Joga Palace is in the town now. We have bought 4 acres of land now to built. We are working on it now. Since I came things have been improving. Everybody knews how we met Joga. It used to be totally rural and ancient but we have been able to modernise so many things.
Tell us the significance of Joga Orile in Yoruba history?
Joga Orile is a litle town and we have so many scholars here. People like the Afonjas, the Ajiboyes, the Adekeyes, a lot. Our people are all over and they are well recognised in Nigerian society. Going into Yoruba history, if you are not from Oyo, you are from Ile-Ife. We are from Oyo. That is why I always wear Abeti Aja cap, like Alaafin, Oba Adeyemi. 4 or 5 of them came together from Oyo-the Oronna (which is Ilaro), the Adokun (which is Igan Ikoto), the Abepa (which is Joga Orile) here, and Ibese (which is Asakanran). They all came from Oyo the same day. They first stopped in Joga Orile before everybody scattered around the town again, to go to other places.
Abepa was the only one that brought a crown from Oyo at that time because he was a very great hunter, that even the Alaafin will call anytime he has problems or there is a war to fight, like the Dahomey War. He will call Abepa to come and defend them. That is why most of our men scattered all over. They don’t stay in Joga, because as soon as you have a baby boy, Abepa will take the baby boy from you and will join the Army, he will become one of the warriors to go and fight.
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