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Omooba ABIODUN OGIDAN, PRO Fusengbuwa Family
Is it true that the Fusengbuwa family has advised the government to lift the ban on the process?
I cannot confirm that, because that didn’t come from my own purview. But this is the fact. And this is what we have to rely on.
Everything we have done so far, the government has communicated officially. And if there is no official documentation from the family to the government, or from the government to the family, I am going to count it as a rumor. Because, as you know, on social media, somebody can sit in their room and just put a story up, and post it out, and later on come back and say, oh, it was a joke.
So we have to wait on facts. Facts is the only thing we can go for. I know that the government wants the process to kick start. Because I’ve seen a lot of things going on in the background that indicate that. Do you understand? So we wait and we pray it’s done fast.
All we can do as a family is to let them know that they need to be appraised quickly, and set it out. Because the chieftaincy, the king, belongs to the family. You cannot do it from Abeokuta. You cannot do it from Abuja or anywhere. The family will be carried along, even though there are kingmakers. It does not mean that the power totally stays with the kingmakers. The kingmakers can give the family someone they don’t like. And the family will let you know that, no, we are not satisfied with this. But, at the same time, the government is in the position to work hand in hand with the kingmakers and the family to present a decent king for us.
Okay. Going by the point at which you were before they stopped the process, if that continues, it means that the Afobajes will look at all the documentation and then what happens afterwards?
Well, I’ve tried my possible best not to get involved in the rules and issues of the Afobajes . Even in the family, I made up my mind right from the onset that I will not be part and parcel of the screening committee, selection committee. Even the day we did the nomination, I was not aware of the list. I stayed aloof and announced as it was presented. Till the time we submitted.
If the process is rekindled today, I think the proper thing will be to go back to that point that it was stopped, which was the point the Afobajes had invited all the candidates to come and see them for five minutes. It’s okay. It’s a day’s job. Five minutes. They’ll come in, introduce themselves.
And I’ve even told a lot of the candidates that called me, because they called me. As a PRO, I cannot but talk to them. They called me and said, Omoba, we have not heard anything. Omoba, they said they have written a list. I said, how can you as a candidate say that? You listened to the news that this thing has been altered. Why don’t you wait until the government says we have lifted it off?
And we have advised the government. We have told them, like me personally, I have told those who want to hear that we have to return back to that particular stage and say, come.
Somebody’s agreed to that. Oh, on the list, the Olori Ebis have done magic. They have emboldened some names. They wrote my name wrongly, They misspelled my name. They classified me wrongly as Omoobinrin, as Omokurin. That is from the male line or the female line. And even some went as far as to say they classified my clan. I’m Jadiara. People said I’m Kinikun Fusengbuwa.
If you have your five minutes at the end of the day, tell them who you are. For goodness sake, this is an interview. For you City People, the first thing you ask was my name and to introduce myself. So even if you have had my name written on the paper somewhere, and I come and tell you that no, my name is not Abiodun Ogido. I am Abiodun Dele Ogido, you will have no choice but to change it because you have heard it from the horse’s mouth.
So people should not overflog the issue. Do you understand? To become the Awujale is not a circus. It’s a very serious matter for the Ijebu people. The Ijebu people are anxious to have a king. So we are waiting for the government to lift the ban or whatever they call it and let them return back to that point.
Now, the composition, the makeup of who are going to be the kingmakers is their business. It’s not part of the family business. So that’s where we stand.
People are also confused with whether Ifa has a role to play or not in the choice of Awujale. At what point will that come?
Well, as far as my knowledge is concerned. I think Ifa is still going to play. Ifa will definitely come into play because that is our own culture here. And the Ifa that will come to play is at a time when we are having very few candidates left. By the time we are having the odd three to five candidates, the traditionalists will be summoned.
And let me tell you, people misinterpret Ifa. People misinterpret it. Look, I always ask a question. It’s a funny question. I always ask my friends, I say, let us assume people say, the Ijebu people, they are messy, they have juju, they are strong. At what point do you think the juju is stronger? Is it at the time of the invaders or the slave traders or now?
And everybody agreed that it was the old babas of those days who had more juju. They were captured now. They were captured. They were taken with chains into America and Barbados. So if the juju was strongest that time, they were captured. So what are we talking about? This is just a tradition.
The Ifa is not AI. It’s not going to design and pick an Oba for you. Because you have been bastardized by movies. You know, all these Yoruba movies have changed our thinking. And then you forget that that’s movies.
You just say, oh, you have five people here now. Oh, put it down. This is the king. It does not happen that way. The best that can happen is if truly those babas are strong, “Ifa ma n Kuni” it will say, from the five you have brought, these guys, this particular number one looks more full. His cup is fuller. But from what we see, he might not have long life, but they say his reign will be good.
They will give you advice. They go to the second one, they will say his own. They go to the third one. It does not necessarily mean that one that they said for us will be the king.
The Afobajes will now sit down and deliberate. Do we want a short life king? Do we want a king that they said his reign is going to be a turmoil? You know, they will look at all these evidences and that is where Ifa comes to play until they decide. At the end of the day, it is the Ifa that has chosen. Because Ifa has given them reasons to choose. And that is the way it has been done.
Don’t forget also, the last Awujale had a lot of conflict with the traditionalists. To the point that he actually packed them to one side. So, those traditionalists are like loose from a cage. So everybody wants to be relevant. Everybody wants to now flex their muscles.
We are not disputing that Tradition has to continue. But it should not be overflogged. In Nigeria, we have a President. He wasn’t chosen by Ifa. And he directs millions of Nigerians. So, I am not against Ifa, but I am for it to be done the proper way, the proper channel, so that people will know it’s an advice, it’s a support, not the sole selection process.
So, once it gets through the affirmative, from there it goes to the government?
Usually, this is the way it goes. Once the afobaje comes to a conclusion, I don’t know. The conclusion could be singular. This is what the law says. They will pick a candidate at the end of the day. Or candidates. That’s what the law says. It’s very clear. So, it could be one, could be two.
Once they get to that dead end, they have to forward those names to the executive council, executive governor, who will now, in turn, take it back to the state executives. They will deliberate and one will be selected.
But, you see, I always advise. When you listen to people, you should be able to pick something out of it. I’ll tell you what our president said the other day. The president said, when he was asked to bring the Vice President, he said it at a public forum. So, I’m quoting him from the public forum.
Buhari and Co. asked him to bring nomination for the Vice President which Osibajo became the Vice President. He said he went back home and people were bringing names to him. Three names, four names. They asked him to bring three names. But, in his own wisdom, he said to himself, if I bring three names, they will add a fourth one. And if they pick the fourth one, I will have nothing to say. So, he took only one name.
That is usually the best. If the Afobajes agree to follow that line, then let them pick one person and give it to the executive. They cannot do anything again now. Because they have one person. If you give them three, they will make it four. And if they pick the fourth person, there’s nothing you can do.
So, it is not me that said it, it is Jagaban, So, if there’s a problem, go and question Jagaban.
