Can you also tell us about the fact that the Fusengbuwa family expands beyond Ijebuode?
The Oba called Fusengbuwa was a very lucky man. It was during his reign that the colonial masters came together to regulate the kingship of Ijebu land. And they were picking names to represent each family. The line of Oba-ship in Ijebu land is not usually the same with all Oba-speaking nations.
I’ll tell you why. In Ijebuland, you don’t really have to be the son of a king to become a king. In some places, you must be the direct son of the king.
In Ijebuland, you can be a family. Because my dad was a king, it doesn’t mean my uncle’s grandson cannot be a king in the future. Because the same bloodline that is running through my dad, that was a king, that is also in that guy.
Because that’s how they see it in Ijebuland. So it’s a family. They take it as a family. Ebi. Ebi. It’s a very important thing in Ijebuland.
Ebi. Family. If somebody dies, they call the family meeting. They call an Ebi meeting.
So Fusengbuwa has people that gave birth to him. So when those Ebu people came, they started picking the family names. Anikilaya is like an oriki of that family.
Gbelebua is also an oriki. Fidipote, it’s an oriki. Are you with me? Fusengbuwa was the name of a king.
So they honored him and used his name to represent that family because he was reigning. But it doesn’t mean that there are no other families within the family that are not part of that ruling and royal house. Like the Jadiara.
Jadiara was a king and an Awujale before Fusengbuwa. So Fushegbua came from Jadiara.
But if they were going to pick a name, it’s should have been a universal name, but because they, in their own wisdom, to honor the king on his throne at that particular time, picked his own name. But people are misconstruing and saying Fusengbuwa is the only name. If you are not Fushegbua, you are not from the royal house.
No, the royal house extends past Fusengbuwa into other parts of Ijebuland.
But those people, in their wise wisdom, also put the commas there. If there is a direct son of a main line, you cannot come for a long path and say you want to come and do a ride. Do you understand?
If there is none, people will think it’s not possible. It’s very possible. Very.
People can just have children, have children.
They say, okay, let’s go and look at our family in a, I don’t want to mention names of an area, because people will misquote it. They’ll say, ah, he has told us that people from so place…
So, you know, you look at it from that point of view. But if the people are on ground, are you with me? If somebody came into this room now and said, oh, you people are all family of one great man. I’m from UK. Your father has an inheritance of $10 million in an account.
We want to share it to his siblings. We will all come out and tell them, I am sibling now. I am a sibling.
So, that is what happens when the kingship comes up. It’s a golden catch. Everybody wants to be part of it.
But there’s a clause in the scenario I’ve just given you, if the lawyer now says no, what the document says is that if we find a direct son, give the money to the son. If we don’t find a son, find a daughter, give it to the daughter.
But there’s no son, no daughter,but a cousin. It’s still blood now. I’m sure you’ve heard of cousins and long lost families that have inherited money from some men or women.
So, that’s the same thing as we have it here. Same thing.
When the process started, how easy was it to regulate royal families, how many of these families were there?
There are families that formed Fusengbuwa. Those families have their own identified or identifiable families within the family. They have their groups.
And all this comes from your background. If I tell somebody I am Omo Olowo to joye meji poo…
Oje Dagburewe Oje Awujale. that means I’ve traced my history back to Dagburewe of Idowa.
For those who know, they’ll say, ah, Omo Jadiara, so they pinpoint my lineage.
From that Jadiara, I can go further.
I’m giving you my oriki.
And that’s why I said, I’m regretting why I didn’t contest. Because this trouble is just too much. Because maybe I would have been left alone as a contestant.
Nobody would disturb me. Because contestants are sleeping in their house now. And I the other PRO is the one running around answering questions.
Why didn’t it cross your mind to contest?
Because of the same thing I said. From the candidates I have seen, I have known, there are people there that are more direct. Why would I want to do that?
I know, I have over 15 friends or known people that are contesting. Those that are contesting, they did not fall from the sky.
So somebody will now say, hey, somebody is calling you. How come one candidate called you? I say, what do you mean?
Did I know him before this Awujale issue started? So I will not talk to him again. Because he’s a candidate. I cannot avoid that.
They are not from heaven. They are living in Nigeria. So the bottom line is, I personally, I realize that, yes, I’m a royal, I’m Omoba, confirmed. But the point is, there are people that are more confirmed than me, directly.
Then why do I want to waste my time? If people did that, then this will drop. What I just said to you, if people want to be truthful with themselves, go into your room one on one and ask yourself, for crying out loud, am I the best on this line?
People will drop out and the thing will just be three, four people left.
But you see, it’s been a long time. So people thought,, there are people that came from somewhere else. I don’t want to mention their names.
They came and said, we are Omooba, we are going to become Awujale. I said, where is your family?
They started telling us rubbish. I said, you are not from our family, please. And eventually they realized that.
Even though they still went to court.
But the reality is that, personal ambition sometimes overrides. It overrides common sense. We are talking common sense here.
For crying out loud, why would you want to come out and say you want to be an Awujale?
When you are from the female line, down, down, down. Not even second or first tier female line, which can still be like, okay, let’s fight it out.
And there are people from the male, direct. Why do you want to?
But you see, we live in a world of unpredictability.
The world that is scary now is the world that we have alternative truth. And you know where that came from.
Alternative truth.
That means for every truth, there is an alternative. It’s no longer called a lie.
So it’s now prove to me, prove me that I’m lying.
Even if you say I’m lying, I will still let you know that my lie is the truth, but you are not seeing it in my way, because of your own fixation on your own truth.
And it’s working for people.
