The Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Olayiwola Olawale, tells FEMI MAKINDE that he plays golf and has a gym inside his place where he exercises daily to keep fit

Ikirun is one of the prominent towns in Yorubaland, how did Ikirun come into existence?

According to historical accounts, the town was founded by Akinrun, who migrated from Ile-Ife in search of greener pastures. He was a hunter and a farmer. He came to settle down here (Ikirun). He was said to be the founder of this town. That was a long time ago, but I don’t know the exact date he settled here. If I should be talking about the date, I would be telling lies. Nobody can say specifically when the town came into existence. There was no proper documentation of his departure from Ile-Ife and the exact time he arrived here because the people could not read and write at the time. But some time ago, a researcher from the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan informed me that they discovered some artefacts here and when they were analysed, they discovered that the artefacts (sherds of pottery) were very ancient. Similar potsherds were discovered at other places like Ijebu, Oyo Ile, Benin and other settlements. But concerning the date Ikirun was founded, I think the archaeologists are the only people who can say when it came into existence.  They have scientific means through which they can do that and it would be very close to the exact period. But if someone tells you it was established in 10 BC or any other date, then you should ask questions because such claims have no scientific backing.

I was a banker. I was working with the Savannah Bank before I ascended the throne. I joined the bank in1979 and left in 1990 when I ascended the throne.

Were you compelled to join the race to become the Akinrun or did you join it freely?

Well, it was the turn of our family to produce the next candidate and that was why I was approached by my people and nominated as a candidate for the stool.

Were you the only candidate?

I was the only candidate shortlisted and nominated. There were many people who wanted to sit on the throne but when it was time for the selection, I was the only one picked.

What is the relationship between the Akinrun and the Alaafin?

Akinrun was a direct offspring of Oranmiyan and you know who Oranmiyan was in Oyo.  To that extent, there is a strong relationship between the Alaafin and the Akinrun and also between the people of Oyo and Ikirun.

What is the relationship between you and the Ooni of Ife?

We relate to each other quite well. There is no rancour between us. We have a smooth relationship between us.

Did you know you would one day become a king?

I never knew that. I never dreamt that I would become a king.

How was your growing up like. Were you born into a rich family?

I spent my childhood mostly with my parents. My father was a farmer. I wouldn’t say that he was poor and I wouldn’t say that he was rich, in terms of what we call riches nowadays. I will say that I have a very rich background. People asked me at a time if I was rich or whether I inherited material things from my parents. My answer that time was that I was rich and my answer now is that I am rich; not in terms of material wealth, but by the kind of parents I had.

My father was a notable community leader. He was someone people really loved and respected. He loved the people equally and he wanted the best for me. He provided for my education and he gave me a good home training which I am enjoying till today. I am from a rich background and I count myself lucky.

Islam is dominant in Ikirun. How did the religion get here?

Well, it is not our traditional religion but one can as well ask why Islamic religion has gained so much ground in Nigeria. The evangelists who moved from one place to the other, converting whoever they came across were responsible for this. I may not be in the position to say the exact time Islam was brought to Ikirun. But according to history, it came when the Oyewoles were on the throne. The Oyewoles had interactions with the Muslim evangelists before they came to the throne and they were converted to Islam.  So, when they came to the throne eventually, their conversion to Islam helped in spreading Islam in Ikirun because Hausa/Fulani that brought the religion now had support from the Akinrun and it was easy for them to spread the religion.

What role did Ikirun play in the war against the Fulani invaders centuries ago?

Samuel Johnson in ‘The History of the Yorubas’ referred to that war as War of the North but the people called it Jalumi War. That time, the Fulani were aided by the Ijesha. And when Igbomina wanted to gain entry into Yorubaland through Ikirun, there was a battle to stop them and the battle was fiercely fought at Ikirun. The Fulani fighters were defeated and they fled. When they were going back, they met their Waterloo at a place called Odo Otin. Their horses plunged into the river and they were drowned. That was why the war was called ‘Jalumi War.’

Is there any taboo in Ikirun like we have in other towns?

We had such things in those days. In Ikirun then, they didn’t call pounded yam ‘ iyan ‘, which is the Yoruba name for it. They called it ‘Isu ewe’. Those who hawked it wrapped it in leaves, but not anymore. You can call it anything now. Also, during the Irele Festival in those days, nobody could eat yam, but that has changed now.

But why did Irele Festival stop?

The Irele Festival is no more because it no longer has adherents. Who are those who want to worship idol today? The sons and daughters of the Irele worshippers are now educated and most of them have been converted to Islam or Christianity, so who are those who will now inherit it? That stopped the festival.

There was also Malepe Festival in Ikirun, when ladies could be abducted and made to become wives of their abductors. Is this still in existence?

That ‘Malepe’ is a very big thing that was formed by some members of the elite in the society then. It started a long time ago. In those days, any time the festival was celebrated, the young males and females would dress in their best to the place where it would be celebrated.  The whole town would gather there and if there was a lady that a young man had been admiring and probably wooing, they would just snatch the lady and carry her home and she would become the person’s wife. But that is no more. Things have changed.

There is this clamour that traditional rulers should be given constitutional roles, if you are in support of this, what roles would you want them to be given?

I hold a different view. By our tradition and custom, we have roles which traditional rulers have been playing from the ancient time. But the way some people are calling for it gives me the impression that traditional rulers are now looking for relevance because they had been rendered redundant, but that is not so. We are the pivots of the society and the custodians of our tradition and custom, which is very important. Someone once said that our society is closely bound by the traditional institution. This means that the traditional institution is the soul of the society and nobody can change that. Although the power of the traditional rulers has been whittled down in recent times, some of them still have roles to play.

For example, they are known to always give mature advice. Traditional rulers are purveyors of mature advice and they have control of the grassroots – you cannot reach the people at the grassroots level effectively without the help of the traditional rulers- little wonder why they refer to the traditional rulers as the first line of defence between the people and the government. Despite the fact that we have lost our sovereignty, people still accord some respect to the traditional institution. Anybody who wants to do something still comes to seek for royal blessings and that is why even retired generals and other highly successful people still want to be traditional rulers after their retirement. I know of a former Military Governor in the South-South part of this country, who has now become a traditional ruler. That is the Amayanabo of Twon -Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff. I am not saying that traditional rulers should not be accorded responsibilities. Like in the past, traditional rulers performed legislative functions, judicial functions and executive functions, which they no longer perform, but that has changed now and it is gone forever. Things have changed because culture itself is not static. Culture brings development and not all archaic practices are bad and it is not all we call modern that are useful.

For example in Nigeria, the system is modelled after that of America, but the Americans have a different cultural background. The way they do their thing is different from ours; the same thing as the British.

Traditional rulers are always restrained from doing certain things. What are the things you used to do that you no longer have the opportunity to do?

Every adult is expected to show some level of maturity; but as a king, you have to exhibit more maturity. That is one of the differences here. Formerly, my responsibility was to my wife, my children, and other family members, but now, I have the entire Ikirun as my focus. There are things one must even naturally stop doing as his age advances. Then coupled with the position of a traditional ruler of a prominent town, I have to show maturity at all times.

So, how do you relax?

If I used to play football, nothing can stop me from still doing it now because as far as I am concerned, one of the things you must do is to keep fit. If you are not sound in health, you will only have one prayer point on your lips, which is to become healthy. In that kind of situation, your children, your spouse, your business and all that you have, will not matter to you. There is no age limit for physical fitness. I am actively into golf. I play golf and I have my aerobic exercise equipment at home here. I have a mini gymnasium where I do exercises. Everybody should do that. Exercise is good to keep the body in good shape.

As a Muslim, how did you view some of the rites you were made to perform before ascending the throne?

There is a lot of misinformation about the rites we monarchs are made to perform before getting to the throne. There is a myth that as a new king, you must eat the heart of the late king. This is not true in many places and it is not also true in Ikirun. As far as I am concerned, I was installed traditionally and there was nothing like the washing of the legs with blood and all that. I did not eat anybody’s heart or any part of a human being. And from my conversation with my other colleagues, what is going on here in Ikirun is what is also happening in other places. So, people are grossly misinformed, but maybe all those things they are saying happened a long time ago and are no longer being done.

What is your relationship with other kings in the state?

I have a very good relationship with them. For example, we have the Council of Obas and I am a member of that. We have other forums, where we hold roundtable discussions. We interact quite well and we have a cordial relationship.

How many wives do you have?

I have only one wife. I don’t have any reason to marry more. Our forefathers had more wives because they used their wives and their many children to work on their farms. The larger the farm, the larger the number of wives and subsequently, the larger the yields would be. Their children would help them until they became independent and started their own families. But today, there is nothing like that anymore. Even if you are a farmer, you will make use of modern equipment, so you won’t need to have your wife on the farm. During our forefathers’ time, the traditional rulers were fed by the villagers, they were provided for by their subjects. Their subjects would flood the palace with their harvests. But today, if you have 10 wives, you will bear the responsibility of feeding them by yourself. And now, traditional rulers still give to the people.

What development has happened in the town since you ascended the throne?

The town is developing; we are having infrastructural development and the economy of the town is also growing. The commercial activities are growing at a fast pace. We are getting a lot of support from the administration of the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, and I have to use this opportunity to thank him. If you are coming from Osogbo, the road is being dualised and it is almost completed. This road will further open up the town for investors to come in and the people will be better for it. Before long, Ikirun and Osogbo will be joined together with the rate of expansion of both cities.